A new county means a new aim for Ajmal Shahzad as he bids to get back in the minds of the England selectors.

After spending some of last season fighting for promotion with the White Rose he then crossed over to the Red Rose in a bid to stave of relegation. One of the two outcomes panned out with Yorkshire gaining promotion to division one and set for a collision with Nottinghamshire.

Now he will be fighting the battle at the top of the county game in a bid to capture the LV= County Championship with Nottinghamshire.

"There are a number of top class players here with a number of players already playing for England or knocking on the door,” he said.

“I am away from home for the first time and I want to think of everyone at the club as my extended family.”

The squad was in Barbados for twelve days and it gave them plenty of down time for Shahzad to spend with his new colleagues.

"I want to think of everyone at the club as my extended family."

“The tour gave me the chance to further get to know the guys and show them what I am about and what I can add to the team.”

The 2013 Nottinghamshire squad has great depth and quality which can only stand the side in good stead if injuries or international call-ups deplete the squad. Shahzad realises this and believes he can add his abilities to all compartments of the game and do the best for the team.

“It would be great to be in that number eight position and back up the batsmen up with useful knocks," he said.

"Along with my bowling I want to be able to add to the side and see us winning games.”

The season curtain raiser begins on April 10 when Middlesex visit Trent Bridge where Shahzad and the rest of the squad will look to get their season off to the best start. 

“I am only 27 and have a lot left to offer," he said.

"Hopefully I can make the selectors see that and put myself in the shop window by getting runs and wickets and having good average.

“Mick has massive ambitions for the squad and with the strength that we have at the club I don’t see why we can’t be challenging.”

This doesn’t mean that the one-day competitions will be put on the back burner. With the club winning the Barbados T20 they are in a good place to challenge in the shorter formats.

“If we start the season by getting good results in all three comps and with the depth of the squad I don’t see why we shouldn’t be challenging across all three,” Shahzad said.