FORMER Test umpire John Holder and ex-player Ismail Dawood want an independent inquiry into the lack of BAME match officials in the English game.

Holder spent nearly 30 years as a professional umpire before his retirement 11 years ago and since then no non-white umpires have been elevated to the First Class Umpires Panel.

Dawood played for Northamptonshire, Worcestershire, Glamorgan and Yorkshire before bringing an end to his playing days in 2005 and his career as an umpire failed to materialise after failing to win promotion to the Panel.