Pakistan-New Zealand ODI series loses Super League status

The ODI series between Pakistan and New Zealand scheduled to begin on September 17 won’t be part of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League. The announcement was made by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on Saturday (11 September). The news was made due to PCB not making arrangements of Decision Review System (DRS) in place for the three ODI matches.

A report had emerged on how Pakistan could not have DRS in place in such a short span of time. The DRS has been made mandatory by ICC in all the men’s games. Also, if a DRS has to be made available for any bi-lateral series or global tournaments, then it has to only ICC-approved ones.

So, this ODI series won’t be part of the Super League. Although both boards have assured to give clarity on when they play a series with DRS in place. “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,” PCB said in a release.

After the completion of the three ODI matches, Pakistan and New Zealand will feature in a five-match T20I series starting from September 25.

Top New Zealand players pull out of the Pakistan series

These eight white-ball matches are historic for the Blackcaps as they will return to play cricket in Pakistan after 18 years. This series also marks visiting team’s return to play in Pakistan. But New Zealand’s top players have opted to not tour due to the second half of the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) scheduled to begin in the UAE from September 19.

Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Mitchell Santner, Glenn Phillips, and Jimmy Neasham are the ones who will miss the series and will partake in the IPL. The players made this decision after the NZC permitted them to play the remaining matches of the UAE leg.

Meanwhile, Pakistan have gathered a full-strength squad for its series against New Zealand and will use the matches as a good preparation time before the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 begins on October 17.