Lou Vincent and Robbie Hart are preparing to bolster the injury-ravaged New Zealand side in time for their tour of Pakistan which starts next week. Vincent was injured during the final Test against England at Auckland, suffering a bruised lung and ruptured airway after being struck by a ball from Andy Caddick. He missed the one-day tournament in Sharjah as a result but has been passed fit to resume playing.

Hart, who is the wicketkeeping replacement for the recently retired Adam Parore, was expected to play only in the Tests, but the injury to one-day specialist Chris Nevin means that he will probably be called upon to keep wicket in the three-match one-day series as well. "The injury has meant that Robbie Hart will now get to Pakistan earlier and become a wicketkeeping option for the one-dayers," explained Sir Richard Hadlee, the chairman of NZ's selectors.

New Zealand's tour was originally scheduled for last September, but the terrorist attacks in America led to it being postponed. The rearranged trip will now kick off with three ODIs and then two Tests, the first of which begins at Lahore on May 1.

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