Tom Curran hopes BBL performance seals World Cup berth

England have an abundance of fast-bowling talent, with Liam Plunkett, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes and David Willey all in contention for a spot in the 15-man squad.

Curran is aware of the need to keep impressing, and to that end, he has developed a variety of deliveries to try and stay ahead of batsmen – he picked up 20 wickets from 14 matches at 19.85 for Sydney Sixers in the BBL.

Curran, who is in the one-day international side for England's upcoming series against the Windies, believes his experience at the BBL will help him cement a place in the World Cup squad.

"It helps to play in those big franchise tournaments," Curran said in Barbados, where the first of five ODIs will be played on 20 February. "It's the biggest stage apart from international cricket, so to go there and do well gives me confidence. Hopefully, from that I can put in some good performances here, and get in that World Cup squad."

One of the deliveries that Curran has worked particularly hard on is the yorker, something that gave him an edge in the death overs during the BBL.

"You want to perform at the hardest moments; the crunch moments in the game," he said. "The yorker is the hardest ball to hit and one of the hardest to bowl. I've been trying to work on that constantly, keep nailing it and always trying to improve. It's going pretty well."

Another player England will have at their disposal for the World Cup is Jofra Archer, who is expected to clear the England and Wales Cricket Board's eligibility criteria in March. Archer too exhibited good form in the BBL, picking up 18 wickets at 23.50.

His availability could mean another competitor for the fast bowlers' spots, but Curran said Archer would be 'welcomed' in the side.

"I'm sure he would be welcomed," said Curran. "It's a great bunch of boys. I can't see why he wouldn't be welcomed. He's a good player, but it's not my job to select the side."