ROSS Whiteley will link up again with his Worcestershire team-mates to face Gloucestershire at Bristol in a 50-over match and then a two-day red-ball game from tomorrow until Thursday.

The all-rounder has spent a large chunk of the winter playing abroad in the Bangladesh Premier League, the inaugural T10 competition in Sharjah and the Pakistan Super League in the UAE.

Joe Clarke returns home this week after two months in the Caribbean with England Lions and being voted player of the North v South Series.

He will be back for the three-day match with Leeds-Bradford at Royal Grammar School Worcester from April 1.

Brett D’Oliveira moves on to play for MCC against Champion County Essex, also in the West Indies, after his North commitments.

The all-rounder will not be back in time to play Leeds-Bradford.

Worcestershire have 10 days of preparations after the match before the County Championship Division One opener at Hampshire on April 13.

Sharp said: “Ross has been out in the UAE with the PSL and he’s just arrived back in the country.

“He’s having a couple of days off now because he has spent quite a long time away this winter and will be available for the game at Bristol.

“Joe is back around March 26 to 27. Again he will just have a couple of days off but is going to play against Leeds-Bradford MCCU.

“He wants to play in that and is really keen to get going again as soon as he gets back.

“Brett arrives back just as the Leeds-Bradford game is starting so he won’t play in that.

“We’ve got some good practice sessions fixed up prior to the Hampshire game so he will get what he needs practice-wise.”

Meanwhile, the County boss believes Whiteley can make an impact with the ball and help ease the workload of their front-line attack.

The left-armer wants to play more of a role in that department.

Sharp said: “I always felt there was potential there in terms of Ross' bowling and as a left-armer he does swing the ball.

“He came to the club as an all-rounder and his bowling hasn’t quite worked out but to me there is still an all-rounder there.

“I was particularly keen to get Ross bowling again and Alan (Richardson, head bowling coach) is all over that.

“Ross is up for it as well. He is really keen to get back into the swing of this and challenge as an all-rounder in all forms.

“He did some bowling at Malvern College during pre-season training. He has been really working very hard as the all-rounders have to.

“It is another dimension for us. We’ve got Shants (Jack Shantry) who tends to do a lot with the ball the other way which is unusual but then Ross is more of an in-swing bowler.

“He pushes one across (the batsman) and it is another dimension.

“Giving him the opportunity to bowl in pre-season and get some bowling out on grass is going to be hopefully priceless towards his development.

“It is a long summer. These lads work very hard and there are maybe times when you might have to consider giving a break to a bowler for a game or two just to re-energise them.

“But if we’ve got strength in depth and you can share it around a bit more, with Ross able to bowl maybe 10 to 15 overs, that only has to be of benefit.”