Pak-NZ series deprived of DRS as BCCI hire system operators for IPL 2021 remainder

The upcoming limited-overs series between hosts Pakistan and New Zealand series will be played without the Decision Review System (DRS) after the BCCI has bought the DRS operation team for the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 after paying them four times more than what the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had offered.

The series, which is scheduled to kick-off from September 17, will clash with the second leg of the IPL 2021 season, which will begin from September 19.

On the other hand, the Green Brigade will face the Black Caps for three ODIs and five T20Is. While all the ODIs will be played in Rawalpindi, the T20Is will be held in Lahore.

As per reports, the BCCI has hired three DRS crews to work on the IPL.

Although the PCB is trying its best to arrange for a DRS system however, it looks impossible at the eleventh hour.

Meanwhile, the PCB is also trying to arrange for the DRS in their next home series against England.

Significantly, the DRS has been put in place by the ICC since November 2009 in Test matches before being made mandatory in the T20Is from 2017.

The ICC has also made it compulsory at least in Men’s games to have DRS in place. In the limited-overs format, each team gets two chances to challenge the decision made by the on-field umpire.

The three ODIs will be part of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League ODIs..

Earlier, the New Zealand cricket team were announced to be exempted from Covid-19 test at all airports in Pakistan after they arrive to play an ODI and Twenty20 series against the hosts on September 11.

The Civil Aviation Authority ( CAA) of Pakistan has exempted the Kiwi cricket team from the necessary Covid-19 test at all airports in the country after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had urged the authority to do so.

Notably, the Kiwi cricket team will be touring Pakistan after a long gap of 18 years.

Earlier, New Zealand’s tour to Pakistan was cut short in 2002 after a bomb explosion outside the team’s hotel in Karachi.

After completing their Bangladesh tour, the New Zealand cricket team will fly to Pakistan on a chartered plane of Bangladesh’s Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight and land at the Islamabad airport on September 11.

New Zealand had last played an ODI series in Pakistan in 2003.

Earlier in August, PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan had confirmed the Black Caps tour to Pakistan.

“Series against a top-ranked side like New Zealand will be a perfect start to a mouth-watering and highly-exciting home season of red and white-ball cricket. The 2019 World Cup finalists, who are also the World Test champions and ranked third in T20Is, will draw tremendous attraction and interest from the local fans, and will reinforce Pakistan’s status as a safe and secure country,” Khan had said.

“I am pleased New Zealand Cricket has accepted our offer to play two additional Twenty20 Internationals. These will not only provide extra games to both the countries as part of their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup preparations, but will also allow New Zealand players to spend extra days in Pakistan, familiarise with our culture and enjoy our hospitality. With leading cricket playing countries resuming their tours to Pakistan in 2019, I remain confident and optimistic that the 2021-22 season starting with the series against New Zealand will prove to be a catalyst in rejuvenating our talented youngsters while attracting new fans to the game that has the most passionate following in the country,” he had added.

Meanwhile, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) Chief Executive David White had commented: “We’re very much looking forward to returning to Pakistan for the start of their home international season. New Zealand was the first country outside India to tour Pakistan and we share a close relationship with the PCB.”

“It’s great that, after such a difficult time for Pakistan, international cricket is again being played in the country,” he added.

Pakistan (Squad For NZ Series):

Babar Azam (Captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Asif Ali, Azam Khan, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sohaib Maqsood

News Desk

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