LAHORE - Pakistan Cricket Board is searching sponsors to utilise Decision Review System (DRS) facility in the in the upcoming one-day series against Australia in the United Arab Emirates, it has been learnt.
"We believe it is a technology which is good for cricket and helps both teams that is why we will keep on supporting its use," the source revealed on Saturday.
The International Cricket Council decided against making the use of DRS mandatory, leaving it up to individual boards to decide when to use the technology.
Meanwhile, Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has again confirmed his support for the use of the Decision Review System (DRS) in international matches.
"The DRS is an effective tool to rectify any umpiring errors which mean a lot during tight and close matches," Misbah told reporters after returning home on Saturday following test and one-day series defeats in Sri Lanka. "The ICC and cricket boards must work towards a unified DRS system for world cricket."
Pakistan complained about poor umpiring decisions during the first test against Sri Lanka in Galle which they lost heavily. The Sri Lankan cricket board did not use the DRS for the series against Pakistan although it did do so in matches against England this year.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has granted No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Imran Nazir, Misbah-ul-Haq, Saeed Ajmal, Umar Akmal, Ahmed Shahzad, Younus Khan and Umar Gul to appear in the inaugural Sri Lankan Premier League to be started next month, it has been learnt.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has also informed its Sri Lankan counterparts that all players signed up to play in the inaugural Sri Lankan Premier League next month have been given clearance to skip the training camp for the Australian tour to play in the league.
“Players picked in the Pakistan team for the Australian series would not be given permission to play in any Twenty20 tournament during the Ramazan," a source revealed on Saturday. “As far as the Sri Lankan Premier League is concerned we have given our clearance to the Sri Lankan board for our players," the source added.
Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Imran Nazir, Misbah-ul-Haq, Saeed Ajmal, Umar Akmal, Ahmed Shahzad, Younus Khan, Umar Gul are among the Pakistani players signed up to represent different franchises in the league that begins from August 10.
The official said the permission had been given because of the exchange agreement between the two boards under which when Pakistan Cricket Board will organise its premier league later this year the Sri Lankan board will also facilitate in releasing its players to play in the Pakistan Twenty20 League which name has yet not been finalised and will be decided later..
The Pakistani players picked in the national squad for the Australia series will not be available for the final stage of the Sri Lankan Premier League due to national duty as the Australia series begins from August 28 in the United Arab Emirates.
Asked about applications filed by different private organisers including former Pakistan captain, Moin Khan to hold Twenty20 Ramazan tournaments for which the board has said NOCs are required, the official said Moin had been given permission to hold his event but on the condition that players picked in the Pakistan squad would not be available.
–Haroon Siddqiui