Umar Gul is a considerable performer in world cricket

The Pears are hoping Gul can link up with them from early May to early August and form an exciting partnership with Simon Jones and Kabir Ali.

But his arrival at New Road - should 23-year-old Gul accept Worcestershire's offer - will be subject to approval from the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Worcestershire chief executive Mark Newton said: "We have made an offer."

Newton went on: "We have talked to Umar's representative in the United Kingdom and we will continue to talk to see what is possible.

"We would like Umar to be our overseas player for the early part of next season and his likely availability would be from early May to early August.

"We are just hoping it will all come to fruition and it will be an exciting time if Umar, Simon Jones, Kabir Ali and Matt Mason are all fit and available for next season.

606: COMMENT It is hard to detect whether Derbyshire or Worcestershire have more cause for optimism at present BBC Sport's Oliver Brett

"Umar is one of the most exciting prospects around and in addition to Test cricket, he has also proved to be economical in Twenty20 cricket."

Gul has taken 67 wickets in 16 Tests at an average of 31.55 and with a strike rate of a wicket every nine overs.

Without excess pace, he nevertheless is adept at swinging and seaming the ball with great control and uses his height to extract bounce from the most lifeless tracks.

He rose to prominence early in his international career, with a match-winning haul of 5-31 against India in a Lahore Test in April 2004.

Three stress fractures of his back forced him to wait nearly two years for his next Test cap but when he returned to full fitness he had lost none of his impact.

Meanwhile, Mason is undergoing extensive rehabilitation work in a bid to be fit for the start of 2008 season after missing the majority of 2007 with a shoulder problem.