The International Cricket Council (ICC) will consider Pakistan’s request for two neutral umpires in one-day internationals in the next few months.
ICC spokesman John Long confirmed that the ICC had received a letter from the Pakistan Cricket Board in the wake of their disappointing tour of Australia.
The Pakistanis believe umpiring during the one-day series heavily favoured Australia, and want one-day internationals to conform with Tests, in which neutral umpires have been mandatory since 2001.
Currently one-day internationals are controlled by one home and one neutral umpire.
“We have received a letter on that topic and it will be dealt with in the appropriate forum at the appropriate time,” Long told AAP from London.
The matter is likely to get an airing at the next meeting of the ICC’s cricket committee at Lord’s in May.
The cricket committee would then make a recommendation for the chief executives of member countries to consider when they meet in mid-year.
The final decision rests with the ICC executive board.
Umpiring has replaced chucking as the hottest issue in international cricket after accusations that umpires have been intimidated by the aura of the Australian team.
Recently retired New Zealand opener Mark Richardson said this week that decisions tended to favour Australians.
“The Aussies are very good at putting pressure on the umps,” he said, singling out Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting.
Australian coach John Buchanan believes the accusations are false and offensive.
“There are procedures in place to deal with any sort of problems like that,” Buchanan said.
“The referee and umpires would have stepped in if that was the case.”
Former Australian captains Kim Hughes and Mark Taylor also dismissed the claims.
Hughes described it as “hogwash” and Taylor said Australia benefited from the fact that it had dominated most games.
New Zealand umpire Bill Bowden, who stood in Tests and one-day internationals in Australia over the summer, said he had never been influenced by players.
“It doesn’t change the way I rule on things,” he said.