New Delhi: India's cricket board will try to get support from other friendly countries at next week's chief executives' meeting in a bid to completely stamp out sledging from the sport, a top official said on Thursday.

"When I go there (Kuala Lumpur) I will discuss this issue with other countries. Basically, I will be asking a question, which is a common sense question," Niranjan Shah, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said.

"Our demand is that umpires should take action if they hear any abuse in the field. But whether or not the International Cricket Council (ICC) accepts our demand is up to them," he said from Rajkot.

The BCCI wants to stamp out sledging, especially after the Harbhajan Singh episode during the second Test against Australia in Sydney.

Australia's Andrew Symonds accused Harbhajan of calling him 'monkey' and match referee Mike Procter, following a hearing, suspended the off-spinner for three Tests.

But after Harbhajan appealed against the punishment, another hearing by a New Zealand High Court Judge, Justice John Hansen, watered down the sentence to fine Harbhajan 50 percent of his Test match fee in the face of insufficient proof and reconciliation efforts from both sides.

The format of the 2011 World Cup, to be held in Asia, is another issue listed on the agenda of a committee in which the CEOs or secretaries of the 10 Test-playing countries and top ICC officials take part.

"The format of the World Cup will also be discussed. We, the four organising countries (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh), have proposed that it should be a 14-nation tournament instead of 16," he said.

Sixteen countries took part in the 2007 World Cup, including five ICC associate members countries and Kenya that has a special one-day status.

"We have proposed to have two associate members less in the 2011 tournament," he said, and acknowledged that the associate members could oppose this move by the World Cup organising countries.

"We have proposed two pools of seven teams each, followed by quarterfinals, semi-finals and the final."

Source : IANS