GLOUCESTERSHIRE batsman Chris Dent is relishing the prospect of playing with Sri Lanka legend Muttiah Muralitharan.
The leading wicket taker in Test Matches and one-day international matches will soon join up with the squad for their twenty20 campaign, which begins next week.
Gloucestershire will be hoping that Muralitharan can work his magic with the ball, but also act as a shining example in a young and inexperienced squad and 20-year-old Dent is certainly looking forward to learning from one of cricket's genuine greats.
The Thornbury youth product was attending an ECB Academy in Australia when he heard the news that he would be team-mates with Muralitharan.
"I was really excited," he said.
"The first thing I thought was that I can't wait to face him in the nets, because it will be a great learning curve to play against him.
"I watched him at the World Cup and analysed his action thinking I'm going to struggle against him, but it will be a really good challenge and a great asset to the team.
"He's well known for being good at twenty20 cricket so I think he'll take a lot of wickets for us and I'm really excited about it.
"I would rather have him in our side than playing against him so it's a definite bonus."
Dent is currently on the sidelines and not expected to return for another two weeks after breaking a finger in the second County Championship match against Glamorgan last month.
It was a frustrating blow for Dent, who approached the season full of confidence after spending the winter training at an ECB Academy and playing cricket in Perth.
Dent enjoyed the experience of playing in different conditions Down Under and is hoping to return there in the near future.
He said: "I went away to play a bit of cricket and I think the experience I got out there was unbeatable.
" I feel so much more confident with my batting and it's definitely something I'd think about doing again."
"I didn't bat where I'd like to but if I went back next year I would hope to do a bit better."
As an Englishman, Dent was targeted by the opposition, but he believes that experience will hold him in good stead and he had the last laugh with England's historic Ashes success there.
He said: "They're at you because you're an English player so I learnt to deal with that stuff.
"At the start of the Ashes Australia were doing pretty well so they were getting stuck into me a bit and I kept quiet but tended to pipe up a little bit when we were doing well.
"It was a good environment when there was a game in Perth and there was a big buzz around it."
Dent returned to see many new faces in the Gloucestershire squad, but believes that fostering a good team spirit will be key to their success.
"It's a young squad and I'm a young player so I'm enjoying the buzz around the squad," he said.
"If we enjoy each other's company and become a close unit I think that's our best chance of success.
"I'm a massive fan of Championship cricket and I'd like to think we could work towards getting promoted. If we stay as a close unit we can look to get promoted."
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