Bopara made his one-day international debut in the recent Commonwealth Bank Series in Australia when he played his part in an emphatic group stage victory over the hosts in Sydney.

And the 21-year-old will on Friday travel with England's one-day squad for the World Cup in West Indies.

"I didn't quite know what was going to be happening with my career a couple of months ago when I wasn't involved with England," Bopara told Essex's official website.

"But, since I've been involved with them, it's just made me want to stay with Essex forever.

"Hopefully I'll be playing for England more and more but I'm ready to stay at Essex for the rest of my career. This is where I love playing and where I always want to play."

Bopara scored 806 runs at 38.38 in the County Championship last season and took 19 wickets at 47.47. He was also a key figure in his county's NatWest Pro40 title success.