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KARACHI, Sunday (AFP) - Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan Saturday denied the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Indian cricket board had approched him to sit on a panel probing action against six Indian players.

"Neither the ICC nor the Indian cricket board ever approached me for joing any panel to investigate match referee Mike Denness's action against Indian players," Khan told AFP.

The ICC has rejected the names put forward by India to sit on the Referees Commission to probe the penalities imposed by Denness on six Indian players during November's Port Elizabeth Test against South Africa.

Former Australian captains Richie Benaud and Ian Chappell, Justice Ahmed Ibrahim of Zimbabwe and Khan were among those proposed by India.

The commission will not review the actual disciplinary penalties imposed by Denness as demanded by India. Instead it will explore the mandate of the match referee and evaluate the need for a right to appeal and decision.

President of the ICC Malcolm Gray said on Friday: "Benaud and Imran were approached with a view to joining the panel but for personal and business reasons were unable to accept the invitation."

India, furious about the penalties, forced hosts South Africa to dump Denness as match refree for the final Test, prompting the ICC to declare it an unofficial match.

The ICC named two former cricketers, Majid Khan of Pakistan and Andrew Hilditch of Australia, and Justice A.L. Sachs of South Africa on the Refrees Commission, but India rejected all the three names.

Despite the row with India over the Denness affair, the ICC has appointed him as match refree for the Test and one-day series between West Indies and Pakistan starting in Sharjah on January 31.

However, Khan demanded the abolition of the match referee's role as soon as possible.

"There is no need for match referees in cricket as they are creating controversies one after another and instead their powers should be given to the two umpires on the field," he said.

The two umpires should conduct the match and look after issues like discipline or question a bowler's action while the third umpire should look after stumping or run outs, Khan added. 

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