Pakistan have won the toss and elected to bowl on the first day of the first cricket test against New Zealand at Seddon Park here today.
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq wants to capitalise on the early moisture in the pitch and the humid conditions under slightly overcast skies to make early inroads into the New Zealand top order.
New Zealand have made two changes to the team who played their last test match, which they lost by an innings and 198 runs to India at Nagpur last November.
Canterbury wicketkeeper Reece Young marks his 100th first-class match by making his test debut at the age of 31, replacing Aucklander Gareth Hopkins, while injured Wellington left-arm quick Andy McKay makes way for Northern Districts seamer Brent Arnel, who will play his fourth test.
Wellington allrounder James Franklin and Auckland pace bowler Daryl Tuffey are the two players omitted from the 13-man squad.
Pakistan have largely stayed loyal to the team who drew the second test against South Africa in the United Arab Emirates last November.
The batting lineup is the same but there is one change on the bowling front, with left-armer Wahab Riaz replacing Mohammad Sami, who is not on this tour.
Riaz impressed with his pace on the tour of England last year.
Surprisingly, there is no place in the team for exciting young batsman Umar Akmal, who thrilled New Zealand cricket followers last summer with his raw talent and fearlessness. He scored 129 and 75 on debut in the Dunedin test at the end of 2009 but is 12th man in this match.
BLACKCAPS: Daniel Vettori (captain), Brendon McCullum, Tim McIntosh, Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor, Jesse Ryder, Kane Williamson, Reece Young, Tim Southee, Brent Arnel, Chris Martin.
Pakistan: Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Taufeeq Umar, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Adnan Akmal, Abdur Rehman, Umar Gul, Tanvir Ahmed, Wahab Riaz.
NZPA
