Umpires could be given new powers to send off cricketers who misbehave, says the president of the International Cricket Council.

The proposal will be discussed by the ICC when it meets in June – a meeting which will consider the introduction of professional umpires.

Talk of tough sanctions against players follows criticism of on-field behaviour during the current Test series between Sri Lanka and England.

Speaking on BBC Radio, ICC president Malcolm Gray said: "If you look at other sports, cricket has lagged behind in handling the players quickly.

"Other sports have made sure players do not go in a downward spiral.

"Soccer has yellow and red cards and, in tennis, the likes of John McEnroe would arguably not exist today because of the way players are regulated.

"Whereas within cricket we have tended to see it as the gentleman's game and on the field the players are controlled by the captains.

"The administrators have not done enough to make sure the players' behaviour is spot-on."

The ICC is considering creating a full-time panel of eight umpires who would be "younger, fitter and better", said Gray. He also called for a shake-up of match referees, saying: "We've got to get away from the referees being just the old boy network. And a lot of them are getting very old."

ICC chief executive David Richards told BBC TV: "The most important priority for us [the ICC] is taking on the role of umpires.

""We've already made plans to spend a great deal of money to help professionalise them."

But he added: "We don't regard the players as being a problem. By and large cricketers are very well behaved across the world."

The spotlight has fallen on the players and umpires during the current series in Sri Lanka. The umpires have been criticised after numerous dubious decisions while the players have been involved in heated exchanges on the field.

Michael Atherton and Kumar Sangakkara were "severely reprimanded" after one such clash while Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya received a suspended four-match ban and fined 60% of his match fee for hurling his helmet into an advertising hoarding after falling victim to the umpire's finger.

Lord MacLaurin, the chairman of the ECB, has recently called for the players to stop applying undue pressure on the umpires, and reminded them of their responsibilities.

"I think this incessant appealing is totally unnecessary and puts huge pressure on the umpires. We've got to get that out of the game and the players have to bear their full responsibility to do that."

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