Pakistan v Australia: ICC approves six-match Twenty20 series

Cricket chiefs back DRS once again, India maintains rigid stance.

KUALA LAMPUR: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has approved a six-match Twenty20 series between Pakistan and Australia — the venue of which is yet to be decided but can take place in the UAE after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) failed to find suitable venues.

If it does go ahead, it will be the longest bilateral Twenty20 series staged between international sides. The decision has improved chances of the series being staged, most likely in the period between August 22 and September 10.

DRS backed

Meanwhile, cricket’s chief executives backed the mandatory use of DRS in Tests and ODIs, a year after they were made optional at the request of India.

However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) responded by saying its stand remained unchanged, putting the proposal into serious doubt.

“The BCCI continues to believe that the system is not foolproof,” stated a release. “It also sticks to its view that the decision on whether or not to use the DRS for a particular series should be left to the boards involved in that series.”

The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC) said independent tests had proved the reliability of the DRS, which incorporates ball-tracking and ‘hotspot’ thermal imaging.

“We have made good progress in independently testing ball-tracking and the new enhancements have resulted in the CEC unanimously supporting the ICC Cricket Committee’s recommendation to universally apply the DRS in all Test matches and ODIs,” said ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat in a statement.

The recommendation for compulsory DRS – provided host countries can afford the equipment – will now be considered by the ICC Board, which is meeting today and tomorrow in Kuala Lumpur.

Optional DRS has caused confusion and controversy, including complaints during India’s Test tour of England last year, when the visitors refused to allow it.

Separately, the chief executives also threw their support behind the introduction of day-night Tests, as long as both teams agree to that and the ICC can provide a suitable ball.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 26^th, 2012.