Former Kent, Gloucestershire and West Indies Test all-rounder John Shepherd has given Brian Lara?s reappointment as Windies? skipper the thumbs down.

?I think it is a step backwards. I thought that they (West Indies) would be looking to youth and looking to probably go forward,? Shepherd told .

?I don?t see any reason why Lara should not be playing . . . but I think he should be there to guide a young captain and help him along the way.?

One player Shepherd feels might have been a better choice is left-handed Jamaican batsman Chris Gayle.

?There was a time when I thought Chris (Gayle) should have probably been given the job and responsibility,? said Shepherd, the 1979 Wisden Cricker of the Year who is currently in Bermuda as manager of the West Indies 20-20 Classic team.

?I would have thought that he has played enough and someone who could probably be given the chance to help the team.

?I think they should be looking at someone like this who has a long-term future with the team. As far as I am concerned Brian Lara is just going to be another stop-gap situation.

?Do you think Australia would have done that? Australia always select their team first and then the captain . . . not select the captain and then the team.

?I think if the Australians were in that situation they would be looking to select a team and then the best person they think would be capable of leading the team.?

West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) announced on Wednesday that the 36-year-old Trinidadian had been chosen as Shivnarine Chanderpaul?s successor, giving him the captaincy for a third time.

Lara is widely acknowledged as one of the world?s greatest batsmen, having several times topped the Test batting rankings.

He is also the current world record holder for the highest individual Test (400 not out) and First Class (501 not out) scores and the all-time leading run scorer in Test cricket with 11,294 runs.

Guyanese national Chanderpaul resigned as captain earlier this month.

Lara previously captained the West Indies from 1997 to 1999 before being reappointed to the post in 2003.