Wellington, Dec.1 (ANI): Pakistan cricket team coach Intikhab Alam has admitted he was considering several changes for the second test starting at the Basin Reserve on Thursday.

Intikhab said veteran Misbah-ul-Haq would bat in the middle order and stand at first slip.

Misbah, not selected in the original 17-man squad, arrived yesterday and missed training to sleep off jetlag at the team hotel.

Opening batsman Salman Butt and leg-spinner Danish Kaneria are also being considered for selection.

Top-order batsmen Imran Farhat, Khurram Manzoor and Fawad Alam are all under pressure after failing in Dunedin, with Kaneria a possibility to replace off-spinner Saeed Ajmal, who was tidy without overly troubling New Zealand’s batsmen.

Intikhab said it was unlikely Pakistan would play two spinners at the Basin.

“I remember playing at the Basin Reserve and we did play a couple of spinners but it was a long time ago,” the Dominion Post quoted Intikhab, as saying.

“I’m more concerned about our opening batsmen really, a couple of youngsters [Farhat and Manzoor]. We’ve got to get better,” he added.

Intikhab said he would give his struggling batsmen a pep talk and blamed their failings on a dominant diet of limited overs cricket. (ANI)