Pakistan all-rounder Yasir Arafat flew in on the red-eye in the early hours of Monday to make his LV County Championship season's debut just 40 hours later in Kent's opening Division 1 game of the campaign against newly promoted Nottinghamshire.

Looking bright and breezy despite the rigours of a 16-hour journey from his home in Rawalpindi and an unsettled night's stay in a Canterbury hotel, Arafat was happy to be back.

He said: "All things considered I'm feeling pretty good and it's great to be with the Kent boys again.

"The flight from Pakistan to Dubai went okay, that was just four hours, but then I had a six-hour delay followed by an eight-hour flight into the UK, so I was later than expected.

"There's a four-hour time difference between here and Pakistan but coming in this direction means you don't suffer too badly from jet lag, just the fatigue of the trip itself."

Arafat lined up for his season's bow with fellow Pakistan all-rounder Azhar Mahmood, who was named for his county debut after joining from Surrey.

~ Read Mark Pennell's first day report from St Lawrence >>>