Chris Gayle (right). - file

LONDON, England (CMC)

England will be treading cautiously against West Indies in their Twenty20 double header scheduled for the Oval on Thursday and Friday.

Though inflicting a solid 3-0 drubbing on the visitors in the just concluded four-match Test series, England wicketkeeper Matt Prior said the regional team would be handful in this shorter version of the game.

"I think they will be more dangerous. You have to respect the players they have. Someone like Chris Gayle can take the game away from you in 10 overs," Prior said.

"It is going to be a tough series, definitely. But we also have some very, very good players. It will be different. It is a clean slate, we have new faces in the squad and it is a very exciting time.

"It is fantastic to have Mooresy (coach Peter Moores) there. He knows my game well from when he was my coach at Sussex and, on top of that, he is a fantastic coach, a fantastic motivator and he is able to get the best out of people."

West Indies are relatively inexperienced in the Twenty20 format, while England have already established a tournament as part of their official domestic season.

England are expected to use the two matches as a precursor to the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa in September.

"It's very important you keep focussed on what your end-game is and for England that is to be the best team in the world," Prior noted.

"Every win takes you that much closer. This week is not just a jolly - it is important stuff. We want to take these Twenty20s seriously and we want to win."