No ‘Decision Review System’ in any ‘Pak home Test series’ till 2012: PCB official

KARACHI - The Umpire Decision Review System (DRS) will not be enforced in the forthcoming Test series between Pakistan and South Africa, as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has no prior agreement with its broadcasters for using this technology.

“There is no agreement with the broadcasters on the issue at present but when a new deal is signed in 2012, we will bring up the matter,” the Daily Times quoted PCB official Zakir Khan, as saying, referring to Pakistan’s deal with Ten Sports.

Pakistan will not be able to use the DRS in any of its home series until 2012. The Test series against South Africa in the UAE is also Pakistan’s ‘home’ series, but since the Proteas declined to tour Pakistan because of security issues, the series was moved to Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

The DRS, which is presently under review by International Cricket Council (ICC), and has been used on experimental basis by some boards in their home series, allows players to challenge and overturn umpires’ decisions twice in an innings.

The ICC and some boards, including that of Australia, South Africa and England have been keen to have the DRS technology implemented in all Tests, and some players have spoken up in favour of it as well. The ICC is also planning to use the technology in the 2011 World Cup, the paper said.

However, the DRS has met with resistance from some boards, including India, because of its high cost. According to sources, ‘Ten Sports’ was also not keen to use it in the current series in the UAE because of cost issues.

Pakistan team manager Intikhab Alam said, “The DRS is very beneficial for the game. But it’s expensive to use and maybe this is the reason why we won’t see it in the series against South Africa. Although it makes the game more error-free, the use of it is very tactical.” (ANI)