Former India skipper Dilip Vengsarkar expressed shock about Pakistan team coach Bob Woolmer's reported statement, suggesting that the ball-tampering law should be abolished.

"How can he make such a statement. I am shocked and totally surprised at this suggestion from a man who has even been part of the ICC's coaching scheme. It's like giving freedom to the thief to steal. What are laws there for?" questioned Vengsarkar.

Woolmer had made the suggestion to the Guardian in England in the aftermath of Pakistan forfeiting the fourth Test against England, at the Oval on Sunday, after being penalised five runs for allegedly tampering with the ball.

"The whole irony and tragedy of this particular story is Law 42.3," Woolmer had said.

"But Law 42.3 is an ass. It was brought in because of ball-tampering with razor blades and bottle tops and everything else in the past, but that's been shoved out of the game now. I'd scrub out the law completely," the former England opening batsman turned coach told the paper.

"I'd allow bowlers to use anything that naturally appears on the cricket field. They could rub the ball on the ground, pick the seam, scratch it with their nails -- anything that allows the ball to move off the seam to make it less of a batsman's game," Woolmer was quoted as saying.

Reacting to these suggestions, a peeved Vengsarkar said that if the ICC allows the concerned clause of the law to be chucked out from the Laws of the Game, it would encourage players to cheat with impunity.

"If carried out, this will put the sport in trouble as players will start feeling that nobody is going to do anything to you [even if you cheat]. It's an amazing statement to make and I think he's [Woolmer] lost his marbles," Vengsarkar said.

"Why are there any laws at all then. There are umpires out there and match referees too to prevent such happenings.

"It's not something you expect someone like Woolmer to come out with, with his vast experience as a player and a coach.

"I am surprised and totally against this suggestion. How can you encourage the players to do illegal things," wondered the former Test middle order batsman who has played over 100 Tests.