New Delhi, Aug. 31: India will support any moves to dilute cricket umpires’ powers following the forfeited Test between England and Pakistan, an official said on Thursday.

"For the sake of spectators, television viewers and the game’s sponsors, no match should be called off and certainly not by the umpires," said Indian cricket board secretary Niranjan Shah.

"Any decision to forfeit a Test should be made by the match referee or the International Cricket Council."

The Oval Test in London ended in bizarre fashion on August 20 when Pakistan refused to take the field after tea on the fourth day in protest at being accused of ball tampering by umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove.

The move led to the umpires awarding the match to England — the first forfeit in the 129-year history of Test cricket — and triggering the biggest crisis in the sport since the match-fixing scandal in 2000.

Shah said that in future any umpire or team which refused to play without "sufficient reason" should be penalised heavily.

"An umpire who abandons play without sufficient reason should be sacked," said Shah.

"Similarly, teams walking off and forfeiting matches should be penalised and made to pay heavy damages.

"Unless there are unforeseen circumstances like bad weather or riots, it is the right of spectators and sponsors to see the match go on."

Sri Lankan referee Ranjan Madugalle will hear charges against Inzamam, but Pakistan wants the role of the umpires, especially Hair, in the forfeited match to be investigated first.