Jofra Archer was “calm and optimistic”, according to the chief selector, Ed Smith, on being informed on Tuesday he had been chosen for the first time for England. Smith then noted Archer went out and “bowled brilliantly” for the Rajasthan Royals, which he construed as a good sign.

“He’s excited by the prospect”, he added. So is Smith. However, Archer acknowledged on Wednesday afternoon that when he received Smith’s call “I was honestly surprised and it was overwhelming for me”.

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Archer has not been selected in the preliminary World Cup squad Smith and his fellow selectors are required to deliver to the ICC this week. He is in the squad of 14 for the ODI against Ireland and the T20 against Pakistan and the 17 for the five ODIs against Pakistan that follow.

This is the expedient way for England’s selectors to proceed. It would have been provocative to throw Archer straight into the World Cup 15 and there was absolutely no need to do that. Smith made it clear the real selection, once all the evidence has been gathered, will be made around 22 May.

“He [Archer] is a very exciting cricketer and there was a broad desire to give him the opportunity to play for England before the World Cup and before we make the final decision”, Smith said.

Archer has played only 14 50-over matches and is more experienced in the game’s shortest format. Smith is not too bothered by that. “There is considerable overlap with T20. He can bowl in different parts of an innings and we have a fair degree of knowledge about him.

Quick guide England's three squads Show Hide Preliminary 15-man World Cup squad

Eoin Morgan (c), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Joe Denly, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

The 2019 tournament, taking place in England and Wales, runs from 30 May to 14 July 17-man squad for Pakistan ODIs

Eoin Morgan (c), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Joe Denly, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

England face Pakistan in five ODIs from 8-19 May 14-man squad to face Ireland in one-off ODI and Pakistan in T20

Eoin Morgan (c), Jofra Archer, Sam Billings, Tom Curran, Joe Denly, Chris Jordan, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, James Vince, David Willey, Mark Wood

England face Ireland on 3 May and Pakistan on 5 May

“The IPL is a high-profile tournament and that experience also gives some overlap with the demands of international cricket. So far whenever he has been given a new challenge, typically he has taken to it quickly. Selection is never an exact science; there is always the human dimension.”

Smith had consulted widely and his witnesses included Chris Jordan, Archer’s great friend at Sussex, who also makes the 17 but not the 15. “Chris has privately and publicly endorsed Jofra giving an honest appraisal, which was typically unselfish”.

Not all of Archer’s new colleagues have been quite so enthusiastic at the prospect of this rapid elevation to the England team. A month ago David Willey expressed some reservations and Mark Wood and Chris Woakes did the same on Tuesday. The most striking – and surprising – observation came from Woakes in an interview with the BBC’s Adam Mountford, in which he said “it would probably not be fair morally” to select Archer, this from the archetypal, universally liked team man.

Smith came prepared to deal with this problem and believes Woakes’ remarks were taken out of context. “Chris is an outstanding man”, he said, “and he answered the question instinctively. He said specifically he did not think the inclusion of Jofra would disrupt the squad. That’s also the view of the captain, Eoin Morgan, and Trevor Bayliss.

“Mark Wood, another good man, very loyal to his friends in the team, basically said: ‘I really respect and admire this team and it would be tough on any of them to miss out.’

“You would want a player loyal to their friends and colleagues, people they’ve been in the trenches with. I have nothing against what they’ve said and I have a high degree of confidence that Eoin and Trevor have a good handle on team culture and they endorse this decision.

“We want to have a look at Jofra – and Chris [Jordan] – in pursuit of our strongest possible squad and then make an informed decision in a month’s time. We all feel comfortable with that.”

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Smith is right to suggest his role is to pick the best squad and not the most popular one among the players. The opportunity is there for Archer and Jordan to demonstrate over the next month they should be chosen – though since they are such similar cricketers it is unlikely both of them can make their way into the proper World Cup squad.

There are precedents for successful late arrivals. Most spectacularly just before England embarked on the solitary ICC tournament in which they were victorious, the T20 in the Caribbean in 2010, they parachuted in Craig Kieswetter and Michael Lumb as an opening pair at the last minute. This squad have been much more settled and successful as this World Cup approaches. Even so there is space and scope for Archer to be selected if he performs well.

Smith was determined not to speculate on who Archer may replace and almost bristled at the suggestion Joe Denly could be the man to give way. “Joe has a wide array of gifts and some unusual attributes: a top-order player, who can bat anywhere and one of our leading spinners in white-ball cricket. He has a unique skill set.” Even so it would not be so surprising if Denly was the man to give way to Archer in a month’s time.

One seemingly minor consideration for the selectors is this: there is an argument for one of Archer and Jordan, both of whom are superb, athletic fieldsmen, to be in the final squad if only to be on hand as the substitute fielder when the need arises – as it usually does. Both are capable of saving 10 runs an innings in the field.