West Indies chairman of selectors Sir Viv Richards has laid into the current team, accusing them of being "stagnant" and failing to progress as players.
Sir Viv says all is not yet lost despite the Windies' poor form
Their eight-wicket defeat at the hands of England in the third Test leaves them facing their first home Test series whitewash.
"We have some individuals who remain totally stagnant in terms of the
progress of learning," he said.
"You can play a lot but some have not learnt a lot."
The West Indies' batting has taken the brunt of the criticism, and Sir Viv, one of the world's finest batsmen in his playing days, says it is a major cause for concern.
"We are at a stage now where we are not learning as
quickly as we should," he told radio station Voice of Barbados.
"When you have individuals who have been given enough opportunities, I haven't seen individuals
learning the way I think they should in order for them to
"Ability is going to take you so far, the thinking factor and all that stuff comes into play and if you cannot do that
on a regular basis it means that you are not ready for this."
But he backed the team to restore some pride in the final Test against England in Antigua.
"You cannot allow yourself to be disgraced, if you may call it that particular word," he said.
"We have found some individuals who can play the game.
"We need individuals who are clear thinkers of what needs to be done and to work around how it should be done."