Humble pie is unlikely to be on the menu when the New Zealand selectors produce the results of their deliberations today over who will be in the side to try and win two in a row in the National Bank series with Pakistan.

Last night's 28-run loss in Wellington was a classic case of a target too far.

Going into the game New Zealand was a batsman short. Coupled with more failures from the top order which is about as fragile as fine Italian glass, it was always going to struggle to achieve 244 runs, a target 20 runs more than Pakistan felt would be required to win on the pitch.

All out for 215, the only reason New Zealand was competitive was due to the fourth wicket partnership of 100 between Craig McMillan and Lou Vincent. That stand on its own had to be a source of great encouragement but to be of any significance in a match sense it had to be supported.

Plainly it wasn't, because of the top order failure and the missing batsman.

Jacob Oram's absence due to an ankle injury, which is likely to be repaired by Christchurch on Sunday will change the balance of the side, but it seems captain Stephen Fleming will be the prime candidate to open the batting.

With two games now required to win the series it would be a major surprise if the selectors reneged on the stance they have taken on their players.

But the opening spot has become a cancer eating at the team.

Everyone who offers, or is told, to do their bit for the team is being infected by it.

Adam Parore starts to show a semblance of form and he is the sacrificial offering.

That doesn't work so Stephen Fleming, who was touted by selection chairman Sir Richard Hadlee as far back as the Waitangi Day rout in Auckland by Sri Lanka, was finally forced into the job.

Predictably, the recent improvement in his form, which needed more work because it was unfinished business, became expedient to the team's need.

It was a policy doomed to failure because the basic problem hasn't been addressed - the use of a specialist for the position.

Compounding that situation is the worrying decline in Roger Twose.

In the last 10 ODIs, Twose's scores read 27, dnb, 30, 23, 11not out, 20, 1, 0, 5 and 1. He's scored 118 runs at 13.75 since scoring his maiden ODI century in the last of New Zealand's games in South Africa just before Christmas. If, as has been hinted will occur, Twose retires at the end of this series from one-day cricket, another problem opens itself up. But with Craig McMillan standing up more consistently now he may be the man for No 4 with Chris Cairns at No 5, Lou Vincent at No 6, Jacob Oram or Chris Harris at No 7, Adam Parore at No 8 and Daniel Vettori at No 9. The potential is there, but it needs a start.

With Fleming at three, the way is open to make a choice once and for all for the opening slot and development. Equally as important as finding the right player is the tactic for him.

Two bash and biff men are out of the question. New Zealand doesn't have them.

Therefore a rock, capable of developing a measured assault if need be, is a must.

With a summer of the intense Australian one-day series ahead, New Zealand cannot afford to be still muddling around trying to resolve the issue next summer.

© CricInfo