DURHAM all-rounder Ben Stokes is refusing to give up on his dream of representing England at next month’s cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Stokes, 23, was bizarrely overlooked for England’s 15-man squad after a poor 2014 international season but the standout performer on last winter’s disastrous Ashes tour ‘Down Under’ hasn’t wasted any time feeling sorry for himself.

Called up as a late replacement for maverick New Zealand batsman Jessie Ryder, Stokes last week sent England's selectors a timely reminder of his class in Australian conditions by cracking a match-winning 77 off just 37 balls on debut for the Melbourne Renegades in Australia’s domestic Twenty20 Big Bash tournament against the Hurricanes in Hobart.

“I don’t have any points to prove [to England’s selectors], I just batted to my strengths and tried to hit to my areas where I know I’m strong,” Stokes said.

“It’s always good to make an impression straight away. I was frustrated by my form in Sri Lanka. I didn’t do myself any favours. I didn’t score many runs or take many wickets so I’ve got nobody to blame by myself.

“Who knows about the World Cup? I hope nobody in the England squad is injured, I wouldn’t want to get picked under those circumstances, but if the call does come, then hopefully being here in Australia for a month before the start of the World Cup will help me to perform better than I did in Sri Lanka.”

New Zealand-born Stokes revealed that he recently quizzed the selectors as to the reasons why he was axed, when it was made clear by England's top-brass that the required consistency was missing from his game at the highest level. Having only played six Test matches, 24 one-day internationals and 2 Twenty20 internationals, Stokes can perhaps be forgiven for fully adapting to the demands of international cricket.

He currently averages 25.36 with the bat in Test cricket – well below his overall first-class average of 33.91 – while his 22 wickets have cost over 32 runs apiece. But as his maiden Test hundred against Australia in Perth last winter proved, Stokes is a rare breed as a genuine all-rounder, who has the ability to be a mainstay of the England set-up in all three forms for a decade.

“The selectors told me that I was dropped because they are looking for more consistency,” Stokes explained.

“I know what I need to do so I’m going to just take things in my stride for the Renegades and then for Durham this summer. We [Durham] won the Royal London One-Day Cup last year so hopefully with a bit more consistency we can win another title and I can have a little bit of personal success as well.”

Stokes believes Durham's quest for a fourth county championship title will be enhanced by the prodigious talents of second eleven batsman Graham Clark, developing all-rounder Paul Coughlin, and young academy starlet Jack Burnham this summer.

“Graham's scored a lot of runs for the Durham seconds so his chance for first eleven cricket will come soon,” he said.

“Paul Coughlin featured a bit for the first XI last year. He's a genuine all-rounder so I reckon over the next two or three years he's going to feature in all of the Durham teams. Jack Burnham is only 17 and he's in the Durham academy and he's also one of the names to look out for next year. ”

The improving Renegades are hosting a do or die clash against the Adelaide Strikers at Melbourne's Docklands Stadium on Sunday. A victory will ensure finals qualification which Stokes believes would be the perfect stage for him to showcase his talent ahead of the world cup.

“When I found out I wasn’t in England’s World Cup squad, I contacted my manager to ask if there were any opportunities to play in the Big Bash which is when I learned the Renegades wanted to sign me,” Stokes said.

“The standard out here as well as the occasion is bigger than anything at domestic level in England. The guys have all made me feel very welcome so I've fitted in very easily. I've loved every minute of my time here and I'd love to come back next year if I'm not in the England Test squad.”