Graham Thorpe today entered the umpiring controversy by calling for neutral umpires in all Test matches.

Thorpe - neutral umpires call Photo CricInfo

Some England players felt bitter after their defeat in the First Test against Sri Lanka in Galle after falling victim to what they felt were dubious umpiring decisions.

Now the Surrey left-hander is calling for the ICC to scrap the use of home umpires in Tests in order to make sure the forthcoming Test World Championship is run as professionally as possible.

He believes that the championship, which begins with Pakistan's visit to England this summer, could be adversely affected by umpiring errors unless action is taken.

"I've always believed in the use of neutral umpires because it takes away the 'what if' feeling you get as a batsman when you're given out by a home umpire," said Thorpe.

"It's a fact that neutral umpires make as many mistakes as home umpires. Unfortunately for the home umpire, whenever he makes a mistake, the feeling of bias can creep in.

"The Test World Championship has just been introduced to make cricket at the highest level as professional as possible. In that kind of environment we must have neutral umpires to eradicate any possible arguments."

Thorpe also advocates the greater use of new technology to dispel any doubts over decisions. He said: "The technology offered by television should also be exploited. I don't believe the standard of umpiring has dipped in recent years, but the advancement in gadgetry has placed more pressure on the umpires.

"People at home can now tell instantly if the ball has pitched in line with the stumps, and the snickometer reveals whether or not the batsman has got a touch on the ball.

"This kind of technology should be made available to the third umpire, who can then contact the men standing in the middle to tell them they've made a mistake. We must take the risk out of decisions as much of possible."

But despite the bitterness felt by some England players after the First Test, Thorpe does not blame the umpiring for England's defeat.

He said: "The umpiring was not the reason we lost the last Test. Even if they had not made so many glaring errors, I believe we still would not have been able to save the match.

"The reason we lost in Galle was because, apart from two batsmen, we simply did not play to the standard required."

© CricInfo Ltd.