The first question Yorkshire asked their new overseas star Yuvraj Singh when he finally arrived in England yesterday was: "Do you feel fresh enough to play in the Championship match against Glamorgan?"

And the answer they got back from the fit and enthusiastic 21-year-old left-hander was a quickfire yes.

Director of cricket, Geoff Cope, met Yuvraj at Manchester Airport in late morning and whisked him over the Pennines for a media conference and his first sight of Headingley.

"I came to England for a month in 1996 with a club tour and I was here last year with India for the NatWest Series of one-day internationals but this is the first time I have ever been to Yorkshire," said Yuvraj.

He was, however, clued up about the White Rose county and had been primed about what to expect from India's prince of cricket, Sachin Tendulkar, who became Yorkshire's first overseas player in 1992.

"I spoke to Sachin before I signed and he told me it was a great career opportunity and would help me go on to play Test cricket for India," said Yuvraj, who has made his name in 73 one-day internationals as a hard-hitting batsman and brilliant fielder.

"Sachin said that they were very nice people in Yorkshire and would take care of me."

Yuvraj was confident that he would be just as successful for Yorkshire in Championship cricket as in limited overs games.

"I have played in four-day games back home for Punjab and North Zone and I am ready for the challenge of first class cricket over here," he said.

Although better known for his explosive one-day innings for India and his involvement in helping his country through to the final of the World Cup, his first class record is impressive, having played in 28 matches, hitting a double century, six centuries and ten half-centuries for an average of 47.88.

His orthodox slow left-arm bowling has brought him 23 wickets in one-day internationals and Yorkshire will be looking to him to turn his arm over as they are lacking this type of bowler.

Yuvraj met most of his teammates at Headingley yesterday but not his captain, Anthony McGrath, who is with England at Lord's along with Matthew Hoggard and Michael Vaughan.

"I know all of the players names and now it is just a case of becoming familiar with their faces," he said.

Yuvraj, linked with a move to Derbyshire at the start of the season, is confident he has made the right choice by waiting instead for Yorkshire.

He confirmed Derbyshire did show an interest in signing him but added: ''I had just come back from Bangladesh and was really tired, so I was not really ready at that time for that sort of thing.

''Everybody was after me; everybody wanted me to come here and play.''

Cope and coach Kevin Sharp had a chat with Yuvraj and asked him where he would like to bat against Glamorgan. He said he would be most happy at No 3 - which is McGrath's usual spot.

Yorkshire were only too pleased to oblige and if he does well then McGrath may have to shift down the order a place, assuming of course that he does not stay with England for much of the summer.

Cope hopes he has found a gem - and the most important testimony came from India coach John Wright.

''The message from John Wright is that this young man is hungry,'' said Cope.

''He wants to develop his career and wants to make his debut in five-day Test matches. Yorkshire will give him the opportunity to further that ambition.''