by JUSTIN MARVILLE

ADD WINSTON BENJAMIN to the growing list of former West Indies players who believe the region's fans are being short-changed by their "overpaid" cricket side.

The one-time fast bowler, who is currently in Barbados as coach of the Leewards youth side in the TCL Group West Indies Under-19 Cricket Challenge, made the comments after another former West Indies player, Rawle Brancker, gave the regional side a severe tongue-lashing earlier in the week.

"I'm depressed, to say the least, especially knowing what cricket means to the Caribbean people and how far the people before me managed to take it," said a dispirited Benjamin after attending a meeting at Kensington Oval.

"The Worrells, the Weekes, the Walcotts, the Richards, the Clive Lloyds, the Andy Roberts – all these guys would have made West Indian people proud, taking our cricket from Cinderellas in Test cricket to dominance, then for some reason these younger guys just seem to be having fun and making a mockery of the whole sport."

The former West Indies pacer, while not as passionate as Brancker, did agree with the prominent businessman's assessment of the players being overpaid, especially after hearing West Indies Cricket Board president Julian Hunte stating that regional side was the third highest paid in the world.

"I think the West Indies Board allow some of these players to hold them to ransom. They're not performing but yet they are demanding," argued Benjamin.

"I don't think there is a clause in their contract that says that they have to play for the West Indies.

"The powers that be need to make some hard decisions and until that has happened we're going to be wanting and hoping and wishing for those good days to come back."

"I've seen the demise [of the team] and it hurts," said Benjamin,who appeared in 21 Tests and 85 One Day Internationals and also played for English county sides Hampshire and Leicestershire.