Karachi, Nov 26 : Pakistan has been forced to send seasoned middle-order batsman Misbah-ul-Haq to New Zealand ahead of the second Test after its top order failed to click in the series opener in Dunedin Thursday.

Responding to New Zealand's total of 429 in the first innings, Pakistan were at one stage reeling at 85 for the loss of five wickets. But debutant Umar Akmal (129) saved the tourists the blushes with a 176-run stand for the sixth wicket with elder brother Kamran Akmal.

The poor performance from the batsmen prompted the national selectors to pick Misbah as a reinforcement and, according to sources in the Pakistan Cricket Board
(PCB), the batsman will be sent to New Zealand in the next couple of days. Pakistan want Misbah to be available for the second Test that will get underway from Dec 3 in Wellington.

Misbah, 35, was dropped from all three formats of the game last month after a series of poor outings in the World Twenty20 in England, the tour of Sri Lanka and the Champions Trophy in South Africa.

However, the day he was axed from the Pakistan squad, Misbah smashed a career-best 284 while playing for SNGPL in the prestigious Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. He later left for Bangladesh to play league cricket there.

He will be replacing Pakistan's regular captain Younis Khan in the squad, raising its strength to 18 men, which is very high for a touring party. But Pakistan is treating it as a 'home' series as New Zealand were supposed to tour Pakistan for the series but decided against it because of security apprehensions.

In fact, after being named as the captain for the New Zealand Tests, Mohammad Yousuf asked for the inclusion of Misbah in the team as Younis's replacement. However, the national selectors decided to see the performance at the first Test before reconsidering their decision.

However, the batting failure in Dunedin has forced them to finally select Misbah for the final two Tests. (IANS)