Misbah will fly to New Zealand on Saturday: PCB

Karachi:

The Pakistan Cricket Board on Thursday confirmed that it was sending senior batsman Misbah-ul-Haq to New Zealand to strengthen Pakistan team for the ongoing Test series against the Kiwis.

"On the request of the team management the selection committee has decided to send Misbah to New Zealand and he will leave on Saturday," the PCB said in a statement.

Chief selector Iqbal Qasim said the decision to send Misbah as replacement of Younus Khan was taken keeping in view the inexperienced batting line up in New Zealand.

"The batting failure in the first innings of the first Test in Dunedin also influenced us to send Misbah to reinforce the batting in the series," he said.

Misbah said that he was confident of doing well in New Zealand as he had been in fine nick in domestic cricket and had also performed well in the Bangladesh premier league.

"I don't think I should face any problems adjusting to conditions there because I am in fine nick, he said.

The selectors had initially dropped Misbah for the one-day and Test series against New Zealand but after Younus pulled out of the New Zealand tour and Mohammed Yoususf was made captain, selectors were told to consider Misbah as replacement of Younus.