'We want to put the World Cup behind us' - Gayle

There can be few starker contrasts in the world of international cricket. Less than a month ago, England took on West Indies in an unexpectedly thrilling World Cup encounter in Barbados - a sun-drenched match laden with runs and emotion, as Brian Lara bowed out of the game amid the heartbreak of a one-wicket defeat.

Now, almost before the jet-lag has had a chance to wear off, the attention has switched to a wet and windy Lord's. On Thursday the first Test of the English summer gets underway, and while both sides might wish to pretend that getting straight back into the fray is the best way to get over their disappointing winter campaigns, it's a safe bet that the West Indians would have preferred to wait until the weather was a little more clement.

As it is, they will enter the post-Lara era with the absolute bare minimum of preparation, having fitted in just 48.4 overs over three days of their warm-up against Somerset at Taunton. "We would have liked more practice going into the first game but rain played a part, and there's nothing can do about that," said Chris Gayle, the kingpin of a batting line-up that now has a legend-shaped hole right in the middle of it.

With drizzle a permanent fixture over St John's Wood, both teams were forced to take refuge in the MCC's indoor school, where West Indies went through the motions off shortened run-ups, watched hawkishly from the rafters by a certain MP Vaughan, whose broken finger has postponed - yet again - his return to the fray as England's captain.

But, even in his absence, England are sure to be overwhelming favourites for a fixture that has been a home banker ever since the concept of a Lord's Test in May was introduced in 2000. Zimbabwe twice, Pakistan and Bangladesh have all been routed by an innings, New Zealand were seen off by seven wickets in 2004, while Sri Lanka, incongruously, have twice managed to emerge with draws (including their last visit in 2006, when a spate of dropped catches helped them cling on for a remarkable result).

Not only have West Indies been short of time in the middle, they can expect to be hounded by two fit and focussed bowlers who have been away from the international scene since the end of the Ashes tour in December and January. "Harmison is in good form and Hoggard as well, so it's going to be very challenging," said Gayle. "But we're looking forward to it and we're up for it. We want to put the World Cup behind us and enjoy this summer."

"I don't think we can be nervous about what lies ahead, I think you're nervous any time a Test match series comes about," said West Indies' new coach, David Moore, who has inherited Bennett King's post on a short-term basis. "We can't worry about what we can't control. We'll do our very best with what we can control, and go into the Test match working very hard and confident of a positive result."

It was Gayle himself who used the word "professional" to describe the attitude that West Indies would have to bring to their performances on this tour - something that wasn't always apparent during a World Cup campaign that was riven with so many late-night antics that one player was allegedly ushered to bed with a gun to his head on the eve of a crunch encounter in Grenada. The new regime has not had to resort to quite such drastic measures, although they have instead introduced an 11.30pm curfew for all squad members.

However Gayle, who is the epitome of a laid-back Jamaican, is not best impressed. "The curfew will keep the guys on their toes and get the best out of the players," he said through gritted teeth. "I would not be with [it], but it's a team rule, a team policy and we have to go along with it. If it was in my hands I'd have had guys more free to do what they want to do in the lead-up to the first Test match."

It didn't quite amount to a show of public dissent, although it was a fairly blunt indication that the West Indian team morale could be somewhat fragile at present. A poor World Cup, unrest at board-room level and yet more mutterings about money and sponsorship mean that a strong start to the series could be essential for the prospects of the summer.

"Everyone needs to improve their work ethic in this team, and they are trying hard to do that," said Moore. "I think there's a level we've been used to, and we are eighth in the world - so we've got to do something better to get higher in the world. Increasing our intensity and work through all our games is something we are going to have to do."

"We always come in for criticism, so that's nothing new to us," said Gayle. "We need to put that behind us with a renewed focus. We've got a new captain [in Ramnaresh Sarwan] so we'll support him and see our guys step up to lead from the front - without that, we might struggle."