Tom Curran hopes he can bring his Big Bash success to the Caribbean on Saturday with the battle for World Cup places hotting up at start of the white-ball leg of England’s West Indies tour.

The senior Curran brother had a prolific season for the Sydney Sixers in Australia before leaving ahead of their losing semi-final on Friday and making the long journey to Barbados for tomorrow’s warm-up match.

It is another bowler who has been featuring in the Big Bash who will cast a shadow over this series ahead of his attempt to gate-crash England’s World Cup party this summer.

Tom Curran hopes he can bring his Big Bash success to the Caribbean on Saturday

Jofra Archer, most latterly of Hobart Hurricanes, qualifies for England next month

Jofra Archer, most latterly of Hobart Hurricanes, qualifies for England next month and, as an all-rounder of rare gifts, could be thrown straight into England’s World Cup squad in April without yet appearing for his adopted country.

For that to happen, one of the bowlers who has taken England to the top of the world one-day rankings would have to miss out, with Curran, 23, a prime candidate to make way for the Barbadian with an English father and British passport.

‘It’s not my job to select the side, so I don’t know what the thoughts are, but for me it’s just about doing my thing and hopefully things can take care of themselves,’ said Curran, who played in England’s last three 50-over matches in Sri Lanka before Christmas.

‘I try not to look at the options. You want to be in the squad and you want to be playing, but I don’t get too caught up in it because it’s out of my control. I’ll be focusing on what I can do and we’ll cross those bridges when they come.

‘I’m sure Jofra would be welcomed if he came into the squad now. There’s a great bunch of lads here, so I don’t see why not.’

The senior Curran brother had a prolific season for the Sydney Sixers in Australia

He left ahead of their losing semi-final on Friday and made the long journey to Barbados

The positions of Curran, Mark Wood, Liam Plunkett and David Willey might all come under scrutiny here when England face Chris Gayle and company, starting at the Kensington Oval on Wednesday, with Olly Stone, fitness permitting, and Sam Curran joining Archer in trying to force their way in from the outside.

Tom Curran’s success in Australia as a death bowler, one of Archer’s prime skills, is set to earn him a starting berth against a West Indies President’s XI in what will be a proper List A match as opposed to the glorified match practice the Test side faced here.

‘It helps to play on the biggest stage apart from international cricket in those big franchise tournaments, so to go to the Big Bash and do well gives me a lot of confidence,’ he said.

‘Hopefully from that I can put in some good performances here and get in that World Cup squad.’ 

One of the bowlers who has taken England to the top of the rankings would have to miss out

Curran, 23, is a prime candidate to make way for the Barbadian with an English father

Curran’s Sixers lost their semi-final without their star man to Melbourne Renegades, but there was no doubt he would be here in time for this series at the start of World Cup year.

‘It was bitter-sweet,’ he admitted. ‘You’re leaving to play for your country, but I’d been there for the whole competition, had built relations with my team-mates and wanted to be there to help them win.

‘I watched the semi-final and unfortunately we didn’t get over the line, but England is No 1. This is the really big stage. I couldn’t wait to get here and get going with England again.’