FORMER Test umpire Lou Rowan, of Yangan, believes cricket authorities should look at banning the bouncer.

"If bouncers were outlawed from cricket, the game would not suffer," he said.

Rowan saw plenty of bouncers in his 26 Test matches and directed English captain Ray Illingworth to return his team to the field or forfeit the Sydney Test match in 1971.

Illingworth led his team off after a spectator pulled at the shirt of English fast bowler John Snow after Australian tail ender Terry Jenner had been felled by a bouncer. At the time, Rowan had warned Snow for intimidatory bowling.

Short-pitched bowling was in the news last month when Australian Test batsman Phillip Hughes was fatally injured when he missed a hook shot to a bouncer from NSW paceman Sean Abbott.

Rowan is happy to see Abbott continuing in state cricket.

"He was just doing what was expected, he is a promising young bowler," Rowan said.

Rowan said he was surprised there had never been legal action against a bowler or captain after a batsman had been hit by a bouncer.

"They didn't bowl bouncers when the game was introduced," he said.

"Cricket would not suffer if we never saw another bouncer. "

Even under the current rules, Rowan believes there was no need to bowl bouncers to tail enders.

"Keith Miller and Ray Lindwall didn't bowl bouncers to tail enders, it was beneath their dignity to intimidate a tail ender," Rowan said.

The retired umpire is also unhappy with the amount of sledging in the modern game.

"Australian paceman Graham McKenzie never reacted like they do now," Rowan said.