By Shahid A. Hashmi For BBC Sport Online in Lahore

Pakistan's talented allrounder Abdur Razzaq is expecting to make an instant impression on county cricket next week when he debuts for Middlesex.

"My aim is to make my mark in English cricket and improve my skills," Razzaq says.

"Wasim Akram did that for Lancashire and I want to follow in his footsteps. Wasim told me to enjoy English cricket and learn more."

Playing in English conditions will polish his talent

Wasim Akram

Razzaq hopes to emulate Wasim's county success

As a 14-year-old accompanied by childhood friend Mahmood Malik, Razzaq escaped his father's watchful gazw to appear in under-15 trials for the Lahore team.

"I was not selected in a bunch of 45 players initially but Mahmood made a fuss and it was on his insistence that I got in. I owe him a lot."

From then, there was no looking back as Razzaq represented Pakistan at Under-15 and Under-19 level and his burgeoning talent was spotted.

Thrown into international cricket prematurely, Razzaq failed to turn his potential into performance when he played two matches against Zimbabwe in 1996/97, taking three wickets.

"I played both those games with high fever and feared that I would never get another chance," he recalls.

Luckily for Razzaq his superlative performance on the Pakistan Under-19 tour to South Africa earned him a reprieve.

"Razzaq was like a man amongst boys when we played in South Africa," former Test batsman Haroon Rasheed, coach on that tour, says.

"He hit a century and bowled well on that tour to get his place back in the full Pakistan team."

Big impression

Razzaq made his first real impact during Pakistan's tour of Australia in 1999/2000.

His Test debut at Brisbane was far from noteworthy but his showing in the triangular tournament that followed established his place.

Razzaq won the player of the tournament award as Pakistan finished runners-up.

Razzaq is an explosive batsman

In one match he hit five fours in one Glenn McGrath over.

"I knew performing against Australia makes you popular and I progressed a lot after performing against Australia," he says.

Wasim Akram believes Razzaq can be compared with South Africans Jacques Kallis and Shaun Pollock.

"Razzaq is has rare talent and I feel playing in English conditions will polish his talent," Wasim says.

Pakistan coach Mudassar Nazar believes Razzaq's looks are deceptive.

"Razzaq never poses like a world-class allrounder but I feel he is right up there with the best," Nazar adds.

But Razzaq plays down the hype.

"I am a simple person," he says, "and let my performances speaks for themselves."

Middlesex will hope they do just that.