Karl Carver is on the right track to becoming Yorkshire’s number two spin option behind England’s Adil Rashid.

Carver has enjoyed an encouraging pre-season both at home and abroad, although he has been denied the opportunity for further match-action this week with today's two-day friendly at Derbyshire cancelled due to a waterlogged pitch.

The 20-year-old left-armer spent the majority of February training in India before returning impressive performances with both red and white ball on Yorkshire’s pre-season tour of the UAE last month.

Carver took five wickets in two Twenty20s as the Vikings won the Emirates Airline competition in Dubai, beating the MCC and Lancashire.

He then took six wickets in 55.2 overs in the four-day champion county defeat against the MCC in Abu Dhabi, dismissing Ian Bell twice.

Last year, Carver played the first two County Championship matches of the season as a stand-in for Rashid.

But Jason Gillespie and the management team opted to recruit veteran off-spinner James Middlebrook and allow Carver more time to develop in second-team cricket.

Now, things look set to be different.

Director of cricket Martyn Moxon recently admitted that Middlebrook will almost certainly not return, while coach Gillespie was encouraged by Carver’s performances in the Middle East.

“He accounted for himself very well, Karl,” said Gillespie. “To come in and be a frontline spinner against a batting line-up as strong as the MCC’s, to be the main man, was a big ask of a young finger spinner in only his fourth first-class game.

“He’s bowled 55 overs, which by definition is a fantastic opportunity to have a good, long bowl.

“There will be more opportunities for Karl through the rest of pre-season because Adil is with England and won’t have much cricket before the first Championship game.

“That will give Karl plenty of opportunity to put his name up for selection.”

Carver will not start the season if, as expected, Rashid is made available by England immediately after World T20 duty.

But he will almost certainly be given a good run of first-team games later this summer.

Rashid has likely England limited overs commitments through late June and early July and then again in late August and early September, and he could yet break into England’s Test team.

Joe Root will be available for Yorkshire’s Specsavers County Championship matches against Nottinghamshire and Surrey ahead of England’s Test series against Sri Lanka next month.

The batsman will be rested for the opening round match against Hampshire at Headingley, starting on April 17.

He will then face Notts at Trent Bridge on May 1 before returning to Headingley a week later for the game with Surrey.

Yorkshire have been given permission to field Jonny Bairstow, Gary Ballance, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid and David Willey whenever they see fit.