BIRMINGHAM, June 25: West Indies captain Brian Lara called on his team to reverse their recent form and get off to a successful start in the triangular one-day series against England and New Zealand.

Lara's men make their entry into the tournament against the Black Caps at Edgbaston on Saturday before facing England at Trent Bridge on Sunday.

Recent series have seen West Indies only on top form when their opponents have wrapped up the campaign.

England, for example, were 3-0 up in their Test series in the Caribbean earlier this year when Lara prevented a whitewash by becoming the first batsman in history to score 400 runs in a Test innings as West Indies salvaged a draw in Antigua.

It was a similar story last year when Australia were on the brink of a 4-0 clean sweep only to be denied by a world record fourth innings victory chase of 418 for seven.

Then in June this year, Lara threatened to resign the captaincy if the West Indies did not win the second and final Test against Bangladesh in the Caribbean after the Asian minnows had drawn the opening match.

"It seems when we are put under pressure we create history," Lara, 35, told reporters at Edgbaston on Friday. "But we need to start in front and we are working as much as possible on the mental side of the game to get guys hyped-up to win games, to make sure we are not looking at the table after three or four games at whether we can still qualify."

Their current tour saw the West Indies suffer the embarrassment of a defeat by Ireland in Belfast. But the team hit back with convincing wins over Sussex and Kent.

"We are coming together; we left Ireland a bit down because of the loss in the second game," added Lara whose team came back from their Test reverse against England to draw the subsequent one-day series in the Caribbean 2-2.

Lara, also the world record holder for the highest first-class score of 501 not out, made at Edgbaston for Warwickshire against Durham in 1994, said his inexperienced attack, who have so far sent down 43 wides and 42 no-balls in four warm-up games, needed to tighten up.

"I expect the bowlers to buckle down tomorrow (Saturday) - with the internationals arriving they must be a lot more focused on getting the balls in the right areas and keeping the foot behind the line. I expect a more professional approach."

However Lara added: "My apprenticeship period in international cricket was spent off the field watching the great guys play, playing the practice games on the 1991 tour (of England) and learning.

"So we are asking a lot of young guys to go out and perform on the stage itself, in front of 15-20,000 people, having just got into double-figures in first-class matches.

"Unless you are a genius - such as Sachin Tendulkar, who was playing at 15 or 16 - or Sir Garfield Sobers it will take three or four years to become accustomed to that level."

Trinidad left-hander Lara, whose team remain in England for a four-match Test series after the one-dayers, admitted his resignation threat had been a last-ditch gamble.

"I put my job on the line, really and truly to get the guys as hyped-up as possible to win: we needed to win that series. "I am not one to quit; I will be playing cricket for some time but I don't see the captaincy as being something I have to hold on to until the end of my career.

"We are trying to develop and trying to get back to the top. Whoever has to take us back there, whether it be a new coach or new captain, so be it."-AFP