Surrey County Cricket Club’s Pakistani seam bowler Rao Iftikhar Anjum believes turning out for the Lions this season will see him fill a lifetime’s ambition.

The 29-year-old paceman arrives at the Brit Oval on a short-term deal to provide cover for Piyush Chawla, who is on Indian Premier League duty with the Kings XI Punjab.

Rao Iftikha has an impressive first-class average of 23.87 with 388 victims in 96 games and will add strength to skipper Rory Hamilton-Brown’s bowling attack for the first three LV= County Championship Division Two matches.

The Pakistan limited-overs international follows in the footsteps of countrymen Waqar Younis and Saqlain Mushtaq in turning out for Surrey and he admits they are class acts to follow.

“Playing for an English county has long been an ambition of mine and am I very much looking forward to joining Surrey,” he said.

“Some of the greatest Pakistani bowlers of recent times have played for Surrey and I am honoured to be following in their footsteps.”

And Surrey cricket manager Chris Adams reckons he should take to life in English cricket like a duck to water.

“Signing someone with the experience and proven wicket taking abilities of Rao Iftikhar will allow us to add a bit of quality to the squad,” he said.

“Along with his impressive stats I believe Rao is the type of bowler who will perform well in English conditions and with Pakistan touring later in the year, he has a terrific opportunity to lay down a marker for selection.

“He can swing the ball well, has a very repeatable action and consistently bowls in the mid-to-high eighties. We look forward to his arrival.”