Yasir Arafat is an all-rounder of typically Pakistani ethos; ideal for ODI cricket but also you suspect capable of occasionally critical feats in Test matches, though he is yet to play one. He is useful as a lower-order plunderer - he averages nearly 27 at first-class level though his bowling remains much his stronger suit.

His type of straight, full, skiddy bowling courtesy a slingy action accounted for Andrew Flintoff's wicket at an ODI in Karachi in December 2005. It has also helped him to nine wickets against England in a warm-up game earlier during the same series and it once accounted for five wickets in six balls in a domestic game in December 2004 (four of the five were either leg-before or bowled), a feat performed by only three other bowlers. He can generate pace and when conditions are helpful, swing.

He has good experience of English conditions; having played league cricket and for Scotland, he was recruited by Sussex in the 2006 Championship season. In his first three games, he took 17 wickets with two five-wicket hauls as well as scoring a couple of fifties. He has been on the fringes of the Pakistan squad for a number of years thoughj given the allrounders ahead of him - Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi and even Shoaib Malik - he isn't likely to become a permanent member anytime soon.