Yorkshire pace bowler Rana Naved-ul-Hasan believes playing first-class cricket in Pakistan over the winter has helped him to hit the ground running at Headingley.

The 31-year-old former Test match and one-day international has made a promising start to his second year as the White Rose county’s overseas player.

He claimed three wickets in the Championship draw against Warwickshire at Edgbaston last week, while he has also taken five wickets in four Friends Provident Trophy matches.

“Comparing to last year I feel very strong because I have been busy in Pakistan with my cricket,” said Rana, who played three matches for the Water and Power Development Authority in February.

Last year he claimed just 16 wickets in seven Championship matches at an average of 37.87.

Rana was recently at the centre of a visa wrangle that threatened to end his two-year contract with Yorkshire. The county issued him with an ultimatum of a week to get his working visa issued.

Yorkshire were getting fed up with having to cut through bundles of red tape to secure their man. “There was a visa problem in Pakistan, but it was not my fault,” he explained. “In Pakistan, the situation is very difficult at the moment.

“Yorkshire sent me a letter before it was going to be announced. Somebody in the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi read about my situation on teletext, and they told me I would have the visa within three days.”

Rana will return to Hove, where he won two Championship titles in three years as Sussex’s overseas player, for the first time on Monday in a must-win Friends Provident Trophy match for Yorkshire.

The Tykes will qualify for the quarter-finals if they win their last two matches. Surrey at the Oval on Wednesday is their final group fixture.

“We need to win our last two games,” continued Rana, who is currently mulling over whether or not to cancel his contract with the rebel Twenty20 Indian Cricket League.

“But we have to play positive cricket. Sussex are a very strong side when they have home advantage. Hopefully we can come away with the points.”