Sussex have finally landed Damien Wright as their new fast bowler – three years after trying to sign him.

The 32-year-old 6ft 3in Australian will share the overseas slot with Yasir Arafat, probably until after the Twenty20 World Cup when Arafat should be available until the end of the season.

Wright, who has just taken 24 wickets to help Victoria win the Sheffield Shield, turned down Sussex at the start of the 2005 season and they signed Rana Naved instead.

He has played county cricket for Northamptonshire and Glamorgan and has a good first-class record with 295 wickets at 30.28.

New team-mate Murray Goodwin, who has played against Wright in Australian domestic cricket, believes he can make a big contribution as Sussex try to hit the ground running at the start of the season.

Goodwin said: “I have played a lot of cricket against him and he’s an excellent all-round cricketer with a big heart who will bowl for you all day.

“He is similar to Yasir because he can bat too – he averaged 31 for Victoria this winter. He’s not express but he bowls at a lively pace and he’s very experienced in all forms of the game.

“He will do well here, especially in early season if the wickets are doing a bit because he will hit the seam.

“He’s got a great attitude, he won’t give up and he will bring a bit of energy and freshness to our squad.”

Wright will make his debut in Sunday’s Friends Provident Trophy game against Gloucestershire at Bristol after a protracted battle to secure a hereditary visa.

Wright was twice scheduled to fly to England but had to cancel his plans at the last minute. He is now due to arrive on Friday.

Cricket manager Mark Robinson said: “We’ve had a lot of difficulty getting him here because the paperwork takes such a long time to sort out these days.

“It has been hard to second-guess what is happening but Damien is someone we have talked about all winter as a short-term replacement but we didn’t want to announce anything in case it went pear-shaped because of red tape at the last minute.

“The days are gone when you could have one overseas player because of the schedule and work permit issues. What we’ve got is an effective Plan B, a jobshare between two quality bowlers.

“Mike Yardy and Murray Goodwin were in Australia this winter and were my eyes and ears with Damian and we hope he can bring experience to the bowling attack that Ed Joyce has done at the top of the order.”

Wright is due to fill in until May 10 when Arafat becomes available for three weeks after Pakistan’s one-day series against Australia in UAE finishes.

If, as seems likely, Arafat is selected in Pakistan’s Twenty20 World Cup squad, Wright will then stand in again until the end of the tournament in late June.

Corey Collymore’s visa has still not arrived so Sussex face a race against time to register him in time for next Tuesday’s Championship opener against Lancashire at Hove.