The West Indies may not be the international powers they once were but Caribbean cricket is not all doom and gloom, according to Barbadian Willie Bourne who is in Bermuda this weekend to conduct a coaching course.

Aware of the many West Indies Test supporters on the Island, Bourne said he understood their concern about the team's decline and more recently the resignation of captain Brian Lara. But he said he remained confident the team would bounce back and insisted it was in good hands following the appointment of Roger Harper as coach and Jeff Dujon as his assistant.

Bourne said he was particularly pleased to see Dujon involved as the former Test wicketkeeper had recently passed the course that Bourne conducts.

"I wouldn't say that the situation with the West Indies team is depressing or chaotic. There are some who may say so because we haven't been winning. But there are some signs of us coming out of it. The players are talented but we need to look at the technical and mental aspect of their game and try and work on those,'' said Bourne.

"I'm confident that we can come out of this. It's going to take a lot of hard work and determination from the players and I know that the new coaching staff will work twice as hard to see that their skills are further developed. West Indies cricket will be back.'' Meanwhile, Bourne has his own ideas as to who should replace Lara as skipper.

"I know of one who has the respect of the players, one who has captained our under-19 team, captained his Island's senior team and has a good chance to captain the West Indies and that player is Sherwin Campbell,'' said Bourne.

"I think he is a level-headed player and capable leader.'' Bourne, who has been working with the West Indies Cricket Board since 1989, insisted that working on improving the skills of the current players and those about to enter the squad was the key to future success.

And with new coaches Harper and Dujon, he believed West Indies could soon turn the corner.

"It's unfortunate that we have had to struggle over the last couple of years, but I am a fairly optimistic person and I think that with the people that we have in charge now, Harper and Dujon, we have a good base to work from.

"I think the problem with many of our players has been their technique and if we can make sure that the technique improves, make sure that the mental aptitude improves, I think we can get back on the right footing.

"But it's going to take a while and a lot of work and I hope that the players will see it as necessary for them to get into the grit of learning the technique and learning it well and also applying themselves a lot more.

"In the past we have seen Test players performing under different conditions and giving up when things haven't gone right. We must make them realise that this game is not about giving up but fighting until the very end. And I think that if these things happen we will see a better level of performance from the team.'' Asked what caused the West Indies sudden demise, Bourne pointed to a lack of funding throughout the Caribbean combined with the influence of American television as regards the many other sports played in the region.

"One of the reasons is that we were not able to put enough money into cricket to develop the young players and to look at the coaching aspect. But the Board is doing a lot more of that now, the players still have a lot of talent . ..

the attitude is sometimes wrong but if we can get that sorted out we will be on our way.

"We also have to make sure that players realise what playing for the West Indies means. I'm talking about playing at any age group, from juniors to a senior level.

"Because there are so many other sports being played, it's causing a problem of sorts. During past years we just had football, cricket and athletics but now you also have basketball coming in a big way, and volleyball. What we need to do is look for players at a really young age and help to push them into the cricket setting as early as possible.'' Willie Bourne: believes Sherwin Campbell should be appointed West Indies skipper.