Benjamin Joins U.S Coaching Staff

Former West Indies fast bowler Kenny Benjamin has joined the coaching staff of the U.S. team for next month's ICC Champions Trophy 2004 in England.

The 36-year-old Benjamin, an accredited Level 2 Coach, will serve as technical consultant and bowling coach for an American side that is competing for the first time in a major ICC cricket event.

Benjamin was recently interim bowling coach for the West Indies tour of Zimbabwe and South Africa. Before turning to coaching, the Antiguan pacer appeared in 26 Tests for the West Indies between 1992 and 1998, picking up 92 wickets at 30.27.

He also picked up 403 first-class wickets in 108 matches split between the Leeward Islands, Worcestershire, Gauteng and Easterns.

The U.S. team, which will open up the tournament on September 10 against New Zealand, has a major Caribbean flavour. The head coach is Faoud Bacchus, a former West Indies opening batsman who played in 19 Test matches and the captain is Richard Staple, a 34-year-old immigrant from Jamaica.

Former West Indies opener Clayton Lambert is a middle order mainstay alongside former Guyana youth player Steve Massiah.

The U.S qualified for the the final place in the ICC Champions Trophy after winning the ICC Six Nations Challenge staged in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in March.