The retired Benjamin believes the West Indies need a “stronger” coach to replace Harper and a young wicketkeeper to carry on from the ageing Jacobs.

Benjamin, 35, declined laying blame on Harper for the team’s moderate results since he took over in February 2000, pointing more to chronic problems in the inadequate structure for player-development in the region.

But he suggested that Harper’s personality is not forceful enough to get the best out of the existing side.

“I don’t think Roger Harper is a very strong guy, and (especially) with some of the current players in the team (with) very strong personalities and big profiles and so on, I don’t think he is handling it very well,” Benjamin said on CMC’s CricketPlus broadcast of the Champions Trophy semifinal between South Africa and India.

“I would try and find a stronger, more assertive person to do the job for the time being,” Benjamin said.

Harper has had a 23.5 per cent win record in Tests since taking over as coach, securing eight wins, against 17 losses and nine drawn results while guiding the West Indies’ last 34 Test matches.

Harper has four series wins and six losses in Tests, and a one-day international record of 25 match wins against 30 losses as coach.

Benjamin also does not want to see Jacobs, who turns 35 in November, staying on after the 2003 World Cup ends in March next year.

“After the World Cup, I would say to Ridley Jacobs `thank you very much’, a lot of people in Antigua don’t want to hear it, but that is the way I see it,” said Benjamin in a telephone interview from his home in Antigua.

“After the World Cup, we have to say to Ridley Jacobs `you have done well but it’s time to move on’. We have got to get some young blood in.”

Benjamin, who finished second in the South African SuperSport bowling averages for the 1999/2000 season for champions Gauteng, said the West Indies should have taken an understudy to the India tour to prepare for Jacobs’ imminent departure.

“We don’t want to wait until one day he (Jacob) wakes up and thinks he has had enough or he can’t make it, then we have to be scrambling around for a second young keeper.

“We have to start working with a young keeper, we should have had a young wicketkeeper on this tour, just for the experience side of it,” added Benjamin.