Wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum is likely to miss the first two of New Zealand's three Twenty20 cricket matches against Pakistan because of back soreness.
Selectors' spokesman Glenn Turner said today that McCullum had undergone the fitness test he had demanded after initially being left out of the squad, and it showed he would "almost certainly" miss the matches at Auckland on Sunday and Hamilton on Tuesday.
Turner said McCullum had "shown great determination and a great willingness to push through discomfort" and may be available for the third match of the series at Christchurch on Thursday.
Pakistan boasts the better form going into the series having drawing two Tests and narrowly losing a one-day series 2-3 against South Africa.
New Zealand are aiming to rebuild under new coach John Wright after losing their last 11 one-day matches -including series whitewashes against Bangladesh and India.