Habib champing at the bit

BBC Sport Online's Oliver Brett speaks to Essex's new batsman, former England player Aftab Habib.

There is no question that the close season signing of Aftab Habib represented a major coup for Essex.

And the 30-year-old batsman seems intent to burst out of the starting-blocks.

He's ready to make a big impression as the Chelmsford-based side aim to bounce back into division one of the Championship.

Habib spoke to BBC Sport Online from his new Braintree home which he shares with two other new recruits for Essex, all-rounder Jon Dakin and off-spinner Jamie Middlebrook.

The former Leicestershire player said: "My brother, my sister and many members of my family all live in Reading.

"Essex is basically a lot closer to Reading than Leicester was. It took a lot out of me when my mother died last year at the start of the season - I didn't play well.

  Habib's first-class career (103 matches)

5,686 runs

Highest score: 215

Average: 44.77

"Obviously I feel that Essex will represent a new challenge for me and I'm really geared up for it.

"It's exciting times at Essex with Graham Gooch coming in as coach and Andy Flower as the overseas player."

Zimbabwean Flower has, as it happens, struggled for runs after becoming the top rated Test player in world cricket last year.

But he still has the opportunity to fill his boots in division two of the Championship - a considerably lower tier of cricket than the Test circuit Flower is accustomed to.

Bowling worry

The problem for Essex, however, will come in their bowling - which could lack enough genuine wicket-takers.

Habib, however, oozes positive thinking. Dakin is a player he knows well, because he comes with him from Grace Road. And Habib believes he can rediscover himself down south.

Dakin, a left-handed batsman and right-arm seamer, is 29 now, has a batting average of 30.10 and a bowling average of 37.16.

  Habib's Test career
(two matches)

26 runs

Highest score: 19

Average: 8.66

Habib says: "He's had his ups and downs at Leicester but that's in the past now. We are both looking forward to coming to Essex.

"It's a pleasure for us to work with someone like Gooch who's played a lot of international cricket.

"We've got big ambitions and I think with Graham around - and Nasser Hussain as well - we can realise them.

"It's my goal to play for England again but first I've got to look at starting the season well with Essex."

Promotion is first on the agenda. "There's no reason why we can't get back into division one," says Habib.

"Getting a few more players into the squad makes a lot of difference - and I mean quality players, not bits-and-bobs players."

Habib says rain often spoils the season start

Good early results are critical, but Habib knows that patience will also be key.

"It's always going to be quite difficult at the start of the a season because of the weather.

"Actually I don't really agree with the structure of the season. It should be three-day cricket at the start of the season, one-dayers in the middle and four-day cricket at the end.

"But instead we have all the Benson and Hedges one-day games at ther start of the season - and because of the rain-affected ties it's a bit of a lottery."

Habib, known as 'Afty' to his friends, played two Tests for England in the home series defeat to New Zealand in 1999.

It was not a good time to be making a Test debut, he says.

Going nowhere

"There wasn't any structure - cricket in England wasn't going forward. I didn't really have a coach. Duncan Fletcher wasn't there and there was no help in many ways.

"But it's fantastic what Nasser and Duncan have achieved now."

Habib is looking forward to teaming up again with Essex skipper Ronnie Irani and all-rounder Paul Grayson - cricketers he has played with before at various national team levels.

In short, he is so positive about everything that it seems he is destined to make a big impression at Chelmsford, and he hopes you're watching closely, Nasser and Duncan.