Decision on Misbah For NZ After 1st Test

Karachi: Uncertainty still looms large over Misbah-ul-Haq's tour to New Zealand after the Pakistan Cricket Board said it would wait till the first Test to decide whether to send the senior batsman there as Younis Khan's replacement.

Pakistan captain for the series Mohammad Yousuf wanted Misbah to boost the team's batting department after regular skipper Younis' opted out of the three Test series for a break.

However, PCB chairman Ejaz Butt and chief selector Iqbal Qasim on Friday met in Lahore and decided that there was no need to send any replacement for Younis to New Zealand at this stage and will take a call on this matter after the first Test starting November 24 in Dunedin.

"We have already sent 17 players to New Zealand and even if we decide to send Misbah he would not be able to reach there in time for the first Test because of visa and other travel formalities," Qasim, a former Test spinner said.

However on returning home from London, Butt had told reporters that Misbah would be joining the team for the second Test.

The sources said the selectors were also unhappy with Abdul Razzaq and Rana Naved for insisting on going to Bangladesh during the Quaid-e-Azam trophy.

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Australia vs India - 1st Test West Indies vs Bangladesh - 1st Test Zimbabwe vs Pakistan - 1st ODI 2nd ODI - Zimbabwe v Pakistan - November 26, 07:30 GMT 1st Test - South Africa v Sri Lanka - November 27-01, 08:00 GMT 3rd ODI - Sri Lanka v New Zealand at Kandy No results 3rd T20I - Australia v Pakistan at Hobart Australia won by 7 wickets (with 52 balls remaining)

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