YORKSHIRE'S Jonny Bairstow is confident England's squad of "special" players can win this summer's Champions Trophy and the next World Cup.

England have eight one-day internationals, starting in the West Indies next week, before they bid to win only the second International Cricket Council global trophy in their history in a tournament which begins on June 1 with an opening fixture against Bangladesh at The Oval.

In two matches in Antigua and one in Barbados, Eoin Morgan's hopefuls will be up against a team who have not even qualified for the Champions Trophy.

They therefore cannot afford to slip up facing an unfamiliar line-up, missing many of the Windies' established regulars of recent years.

Bairstow was in optimistic mood on day one of this short tour, before England's first practice session in St Kitts for two warm-up matches against the WICB President's XI.

"We know if we put the performances together like we've been doing 80-90 per cent of the time we can bring those together in quarter-finals, semi-finals, final – and there's no reason why we can't go and win the Champions Trophy and a World Cup," he said, projecting England's ambition forward not just to this summer but when they welcome the best international teams back in 2019.

"The group of players we've got, I firmly believe we're a special squad."

England were unable to demonstrate that entirely in their most recent limited-overs assignments - although in 2-1 ODI and Twenty20 defeats in India last month, they at least managed to mitigate their opponents' home advantage better than in the 4-0 Test drubbing before Christmas.

"We had chances to win that series in India," added Bairstow.

"We didn't capitalise on the opportunities we potentially had, but also played some good cricket."

Bairstow's white-ball opportunities have been sporadic of late, but the Test wicketkeeper has rarely let his country down as a specialist batsman - and proved the point again with a half-century, in for the rested Joe Root, as England won their only match of the series in Kolkata.

He must fight for his place again but has high hopes – initially at a ground where he restated his international claims when he unveiled a new high-backlift technique two years ago at the start of a Test tour on which he ended up playing against England for an otherwise under-strength St Kitts Invitational XI.

"I scored 98 here last time – I think it was the first time with my new technique.

"I guess match-wise this was the first place I took the leap and tried something different – and I've stuck with it.

"I ended up playing against the lads, and then things kicked on from there. So (there are) good memories coming back here."

Over the next two weeks, England will face opponents who agonisingly beat them in last year's ICC World Twenty20 final in Kolkata – although only match-winner Carlos Brathwaite retains his place in the current 50-over squad.

"The last time we played against West Indies in the Twenty20 didn't go our way, so that's something we want to put right," said Bairstow, who has played in just one of England's last 16 matches in the shortest format.

In pursuit of an inked-in white-ball role, he is prepared to be adaptable – and happy he can fit whatever bill is required, including at the very top of the order.

"I've said on a number of occasions as long as I can get into that XI, I don't care where I bat.

"I'd like to think the form I've been in over the last 18 months is strong enough to push my case.

"Opening wouldn't faze me, because you face the second new ball [at number five] in Test cricket - so going in against the new white ball that doesn't swing as long as the new red ball, there's no reasons why I couldn't handle that pressure."

Bairstow was one of two English players who did not attract a bid this week in the Indian Premier League auction which resulted in hugely lucrative deals for Ben Stokes and Twenty20 specialist Tymal Mills – whose back problem restricts him to that format.

The Yorkshireman was not too disappointed, and is delighted for Mills.

"It was a shot-to-nothing," he said. "It wasn't something I was resting my life on. If the opportunity arose, fantastic, but it hasn't."

As for Mills, he added: "I think his base price was £60,000... going up to £1.4m. It's ridiculous money, (you) can't begrudge him.

"With his body, he can't play other formats. He's done very well, and I'm sure he's pretty pleased."