Adil Rashid is hoping Yorkshire will benefit from the schedule in place for the England Lions’ forthcoming two-month tour of the West Indies.

The leg spinning all-rounder is one of four White Rose stars to have gained a place in the 17-man squad, which departs for the Caribbean on January 24.

And, with more players than any other county on tour, the Tykes should benefit more with the start of the county season starting less than a fortnight after they return.

He said: “There’s a big difference in going on a tour like this and playing competitive cricket rather than just netting. You can get miles in your legs, get your confidence up, then come back into our season ready and raring to go.”

Captain Andrew Gale, Adam Lyth and York-based Jonny Bairstow will all join Rashid on tour, which is due to end only 12 days before Yorkshire travel to face Worcestershire at New Road for their County Championship opener on April 8.

The Lions will take part in the West Indies’ domestic competition, playing four-day matches against seven teams.

“We’ll be going to Barbados, Trinidad, St Lucia, all the different places in the West Indies. It should be a really good experience and a good tour,” continued the 22-year-old.

Rashid – back in training with his county after a two-month break – was left out of the ECB Performance Programme squad for their month-long training camp in Australia.

Yorkshire director of professional cricket Martyn Moxon had suggested the player should be afforded a break from the game should he not be selected in England’s full Ashes squad.

Rashid said: “For the last three or four winters, I’ve been away for at least a couple of months on tour. Then I’ve come straight back into the start of our season at Yorkshire.

“To have been able to have a break for a couple of months, to completely take my mind off cricket, has been really good for me. When I get back with the Lions in January, I’ll be raring to go and eager to do well.”

Rashid took 93 wickets in all competitions for Yorkshire last summer, including 57 in the Championship and 26 in Twenty20.

He was the joint leading wicket-taker in the Friends Provident Twenty20 North Division with Lancashire left-armer Stephen Parry.

He added: “I figured out how I really want to bowl in Twenty20, how to start, how to finish, how to bowl at certain batsmen when they’re coming at you.

“I really focused on watching the batsman and adjusting to how they go.

“Last season I started off pretty slowly – but once I got towards the middle and end, the wickets started to come. I felt really confident, and things just happened from there.

“As a spinner, you need overs under your belt.

“You need to bowl and bowl and bowl to get that rhythm and confidence.

“Playing well and regularly for Yorkshire has really helped me to develop.”