PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Former West Indies off-spinner Rangy Nanan has slammed the regional cricket board for its decision to axe Ramnaresh Sarwan and Denesh Ramdin from the list of players offered central retainer contracts.

Nanan labeled the move a backward step and said it would serve to further undermine the confidence of the players.

“I think that this move by the WICB is really a backward one and they are not thinking things through properly,” said Nanan, who played a single Test for West Indies against Pakistan in 1980.

“I would have thought that they would have Sarwan in their minds as a future captain of the Test team. I would like to see Sarwan as the Test captain and Dwayne Bravo, as the one-day captain.”

Sarwan and Ramdin were among six players snubbed for contracts when the West Indies Cricket Board announced the 14-man list on Tuesday.

The trio of Narsingh Deonarine, Dave Bernard and Travis Dowlin were also overlooked for contracts, though Bernard was offered a developmental contract.

Nanan said that the decision to ignore wicketkeeper Ramdin was sending the wrong signal to the player.

“Denesh has not had the best of times recently but he has played 42 Tests and what are they trying to tell him by their decision,” Nanan lamented.

“Do they think by taking him off the retainer, it would motivate him to get back on. I think this move would only further prove to de-motivate players.”

Ramdin, 25, has struggled with his batting form of recent while Sarwan has struggled with injury and has not played a Test since last December.

List of centrally contracted players

RETAINERS – Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Sulieman Benn, Dwayne Bravo, Darren Sammy, Kemar Roach, Brendan Nash, Adrian Barath, Darren Bravo, Shane Shillingford, Kieron Pollard, Nikita Miller, Devon Smith, Ravi Rampaul, Nelon Pascal

DEVELOPMENTAL CONTRACTS – Kirk Edwards, Andre Russell, David Bernard Jr., Gavin Tonge, Andre Fletcher, Chadwick Walton, Devendra Bishoo, Assad Fudadin, Imran Khan, Kevin Stoute.