Twenty20 has been good for Clint McKay – and now the Australian fast bowler is hoping he can be good for Yorkshire.

McKay will make his White Rose debut in their Friends Provident T20 opener against Derbyshire at Headingley tonight after signing on as one of the club’s two overseas specialists alongside South African batsman Herschelle Gibbs.

McKay, a 27-year-old big and strapping Victorian seam bowler, will play in Yorkshire’s first four group games before linking up with the Australian one-day international squad for their series against England.

He is then expected to return to Yorkshire for the last five North Division fixtures.

“It’s a great opportunity for me to come over here and compete in unfamiliar conditions at a very high level. I’m looking forward to it,” said McKay, who burst onto the world stage at last year’s Champions League T20 when he starred for Victorian Bushrangers.

McKay, who was born in Melbourne, took ten wickets in four matches for his state in India, and subsequently made his ODI and Test debuts for the Aussies within two months.

“Twenty20 has been great for me, and hopefully it can continue for this next period,” he said. “We had a good time in India before Christmas in the Champions League.

“It was a bit of a stepping stone to higher honours after that.”

Victoria have won four KFC Twenty20 Big Bash titles in the last five years, and McKay has been involved in two of them. He, therefore, knows what it takes to win a Twenty20 competition.

“You’ve got to stay calm and execute your skills,” he said.

“You can see a game change in one or two overs. As long as we stay calm and stick to our game plans, I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

He also believes momentum is key. He added: “Yorkshire have had a great start to the season in the other forms of the game. Hopefully they can continue that over the next six weeks.”

Gibbs, meanwhile, is determined to give Yorkshire’s supporters something to shout about during his stay at Headingley.

The 36 year-old, who is available for the entire competition, says he is enjoying his cricket “more than ever”.

“I want to entertain as much as I can,” he said. “I’d like the supporters to enjoy the experience with me. There’s going to be some ups and downs, but that’s part of the sport.”