DURHAM'S new skipper Mike Hussey, who is enjoying an excellent season in Australia, will link up with his new teammates on a pre-season tour of the United Arab Emirates.

Durham also expect to include Paul Collingwood and Stephen Harmison in a squad of 21 who will play several matches at Sharjah.

Most of the party will fly to Dubai on March 25 for the two-week trip, with Hussey due to arrive on March 31.

Coach Martyn Moxon said: "It is an important way of regrouping before the start of the season and an excellent opportunity to integrate the latest signings."

One of those signings, Western Australia swing bowler Callum Thorp, has still played only six first-class matches while the official overseas bowler, Ashley Noffke, has been having a lean time with Queensland.

In six Pura Cup matches he has taken ten wickets at 60.1, but form has been even more elusive for his teammate Martin Love, the former Durham player who has signed for Northamptonshire. In eight innings he has totalled 24 runs.

Hussey is the third highest run scorer in Australian first-class cricket this season behind two batsmen who have played for Yorkshire, Michael Bevan and Phil Jaques.

Hussey has made 784 runs in 15 innings with a top score of 223 not out and an average of 65.33. In the last match he helped Western Australia to pull off the highest run chase in their history when they scored 397 for four to beat Tasmania in Hobart.

Hussey made 95 and Marcus North's 94 not out boosted his season's average to 54.5. Zimbabwe exile Andy Blignaut, who briefly joined North in the Durham team last year, has played only once for Tasmania, scoring nine runs in two innings and taking none for 79.

Durham's other signing, South African one-day international Dale Benkenstein, will also meet up with them in Dubai.

Chief executive David Harker said: "We have invested in this tour to enable the squad to prepare for the season with the reduced risk of training being interrupted by inclement weather.

"We are confident it will be extremely beneficial for technical preparation and as a means of boosting morale."