James Kirtley probably didn't get a mention when the England selectors picked the side for the first Test which starts today.

After their heroics in the Caribbean, surely only injury will prevent Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard and Simon Jones carrying the fight to New Zealand and Sri Lanka during this summer's home series.

With James Anderson next in the pecking order, Kirtley's chances of adding to his four Test caps, the last of which was won against Sri Lanka in December, may be fading.

But where Kirtley is concerned, no cause is ever a lost cause although he is realistic enough to acknowledge that his most likely route back into the Test arena at the moment would be because of injury to other players.

"I don't think my England career went backwards in the winter," he said.

"If I'm honest, I played in two Tests at home last year when there were a few injuries and in Sri Lanka during the winter as well, I'm probably the next bowler in any squad at the moment.

"But they know that they can rely on me to perform and for the selectors that's a nice position to be in.

"I believe I can compete in both forms of the game at that level, it's just a case of whether I can get ahead if someone else loses form or gets injured."

Having made such a dramatic entrance to Test cricket just nine months ago, it's no wonder that Kirtley is clinging to the belief that he still has a future at the highest level.

His 19 Test wickets included that never-to-be-forgotten 6-34 on his debut against South Africa at Trent Bridge, a man-of-the-match performance which helped England draw level in the series.

When Anderson was injured in Sri Lanka in the winter Kirtley, who had stayed on as cover, played in the last two Tests.

Six wickets on desperately slow pitches in energy-sapping humidity was a respectable effort, but it was not enough to earn him a place on the plane to the Caribbean.

Kirtley had to settle for a place in the one-day squad instead, although things seemed to be looking up when he was chosen ahead of Anderson for the first match in Guyana.

The rain which dogged the series reduced it to a 30 overs contest. Kirtley bowled his six overs tidily enough, but it was to be his last taste of competitive action for a month.

The next three matches were all washed out and then Anderson was recalled for the last three games including the finale in Barbados a fortnight ago which England won to square the series 2-2.

Kirtley admits it was one of the hardest periods of his international career, but there's no hint of resentment on his part at the way things worked out.

"It was frustrating," he admitted. "It was nice to be involved in one of the most successful England tours there have ever been. The ambition was to make the whole tour a success, not just the Tests, and the one-day series wasn't treated any differently.

"Of course I would liked to have played more, but it would be silly to have James Anderson sitting on the sidelines. He needs to play, get experience and continue his development."

Kirtley is too modest to agree with a suggestion that it was Darren Gough, rather than Anderson, who should have made way at the end of the series. But surely time will now be called on Gough's England career when the selectors pick the squad for a hectic summer of one-dayers which starts at Old Trafford on June 24.

England will play a minimum of 11 matches before the climax of the Champions Trophy in September and, having been part of the last three one-day squads, Kirtley is expecting to play his part.

"I don't feel I did anything wrong in the West Indies," he said. "And I'd like to think that in English conditions, when the new ball is going to do a bit more, I can be more penetrative."

For now he has to put all thoughts about England to the back of his mind. Although the rain clouds may have followed him around the Caribbean, he would have got little sympathy from his Sussex team-mates when he returned to Hove last week.

"Some of our bowlers were saying that they couldn't practice outdoors for two weeks here because it was so wet," he added. "I was fortunate in the West Indies that we were able to bowl next to pitches so I'm pretty happy with the rhythm I'm in at the moment.

"I have missed the first four Championship games, but I've got those in the bank if you like. When it gets tough in September at the end of the season, hopefully I will be fresh."

And, all being well, with a few more England appearances to his name.