Pakistan's three-match home ODI series against New Zealand, which begins on September 17 in Rawalpindi, will not count towards the ICC World Cup Super League, and will instead be played as a standalone bilateral series. The PCB and NZC agreed to this change of status due to the non-availability of the Decision Review System (DRS) for the series.
ESPNcricinfo understands that the series could have gone ahead as part of the Super League even without DRS had the two boards agreed to do so, but New Zealand were not prepared to play a high-stakes series without the use of the technology. The PCB and the series broadcasters, it is learned, were unable to find an ICC-approved provider for the technology in time for the series.
New Zealand are set to visit Pakistan once again in the 2022-23 season for two Tests and three ODIs. The two boards have agreed to play those three ODIs as a Super League series.
Pakistan have played nine Super League matches so far, and have picked up four wins for a total of 40 points, which puts them sixth on the table as it currently stands. New Zealand have only played three Super League games so far, winning all three and picking up 30 points.
Of the 13 teams in the 2020-23 Super League cycle, eight - hosts India and seven other top-ranked teams - will qualify directly for the 2023 World Cup. The bottom five teams will go into a qualifying tournament alongside the best teams from the lower rungs of the qualification pathway.
Umar Farooq is ESPNcricinfo's Pakistan correspondent
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