Pak vs NZ: PCB makes important announcement regarding ODI series

By
Web Desk
|
File photo of Pakistan vs New Zealand match.
File photo of Pakistan vs New Zealand match.

LAHORE: The status of the upcoming three-match ODI series between Pakistan and New Zealand has been changed due to the unavailability of the Decision Review System (DRS).

In a statement issued today, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said the boards of both the countries have mutually agreed to change the status of next week’s ODI series to a bilateral series from the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League fixtures.

The decision was taken due to the non-availability of the DRS which is a requirement in the event playing conditions, the PCB said.

As New Zealand will return to Pakistan in the 2022-23 season to play two Tests and three ODIs, the two boards have agreed that these 50-over matches will now count towards the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 qualification.

BCCI hires DRS crews

The PCB had been left with no choice but to proceed without the DRS after India hired the system operators for the Indian Premier League (IPL).

According to a report, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had hired the DRS operation team by paying four times more than what the PCB was offering them.

Sources had said the BCCI had hired three DRS crews to work on the IPL.

The DRS technology can only be operated by crews approved by the ICC.

“It is important to have ICC-approved DRS operators in international events and operators were not available during the period, that’s why the PCB has dropped DRS from the series,” a source had told Geo News earlier.

The DRS is a technology-based process for assisting match officials with their decision-making.

On-field umpires may consult with the third umpire (an Umpire Review) and players may request that the third umpire consider a decision of the on-field umpires (a Player Review) during a match.