Whyte, who won bronze at the 2014 Worlds, was left out of the initial GB squad for this year's event, but a wrist injury to Liam Phillips gave him a reprieve.
The 23-year-old is joined by Rio Olympian Kyle Evans in the men's senior event, with Beth Shriever, 18, leading the women's junior team.
"I was gutted to miss out but now I'm motivated," he told BBC Sport.
Paddy Sharrock will join Evans and Whyte in the men's elite competition at the Rock-Hill World Championships in USA on Saturday.
Blaine Ridge-Davis joins Shriever in the junior women's team, with Kye Whyte the only junior man in the GB line-up.
Whyte was not selected for last year's Rio Olympics, and admits he has struggled to recover from the "devastating" decision.
"I've had a lot of setbacks with selections and races. It leaves you sad and it's a real struggle because you're left wondering why you trained so hard," he said.
"For me this is the first step towards Tokyo [2020 Olympics] and although people are getting faster and more hungry I'm ready to prove I'm up for the challenge."
Evans, 23, reached the quarter-finals in his Olympic debut in Rio and is hoping the experience will boost his prospects of success at the World Championships.
"The Olympics only come around every four years and it's the World Championships that you grow up dreaming of winning as you get to wear the rainbow jersey," he told BBC Sport.
"I feel like I've been in this grey area and just on the knuckle of breaking into the podium positions but what I've experienced is pushing me on to be an even better athlete.
"Hopefully I'll continue to learn and grown and I'll be pushing hard for the top of the podium in the near future."
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But a number of Leicestershire batsmen got starts and then got out as they lost wickets at regular intervals.
Debutant Callum Parkinson took 3-64 as four Leicestershire men were out in the 40s, before Eckersley's patient innings helped them rebuild.
He hit seven fours as Leicestershire ended the first day on 300-7.

Cooper, 31, was playing for Culcheth Eagles at Runcorn ARLFC and had been substituted when he began to feel unwell at the start of the second half.
An ambulance was called but they were unable to save the father of three.
Rugby Football League officials are supporting the family of Cooper and a donation page has raised over £8,000.
Culcheth Eagles junior sides played as normal yesterday, with all matches preceded by a minute's applause.
No decision has been made about whether the planned open-age league match at Cadishead Rhinos on Saturday will go ahead as planned.
"It is awful," said Culcheth Rangers' vice-chairman Jo Eland. "Adam was just a young lad going out to play the game he loved."
Cooper was a longstanding member of the club and returned from Leigh East to play with them when they re-established their open-age team in 2010.
British BMX rider Tre Whyte aims to "prove" he deserves the chance to compete in the World Championships this weekend.
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Ned Eckersley hit an unbeaten 73 as Leicestershire enjoyed a decent opening day with the bat against Derbyshire at Grace Road.
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A minute's silence will be held before every rugby league game this weekend in memory of amateur player Adam Cooper who died during a match on Saturday.