Zia pictured during practice during the Bangladesh series

Controversial selection Junaid Zia has pulled out of the Pakistani squad to play against New Zealand citing the need to attend exams.

The national selectors say they have "accepted a request" from Zia to be excused and his place goes to Umar Gul.

Zia is the son of the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board.

He was a controversial selection in the first place, having taken just three wickets at an average of 42.33 in his four previous appearances in one-day internationals.

Those games were against Bangladesh, the weakest opposition in one-day cricket.

Before he made his bow for his country, chief selector Aamir Sohail was forced vigorously to defend Zia's place in the side.

Some observers claimed Zia's selection had been an overt case of nepotism.

Then on Friday he was chosen from outside the pool of 23 squad probables after he took 35 wickets in four matches of a non-first class tournament.

Leading Pakistani dailies called his selection "controversial" and "shocking" as he was picked over other notable performers, including Waseem Khan (36 wickets in six matches), Abdul Rauf (34 in four) and Gul (20 in three).

Revised Pakistan squad: Inzamam-ul-Haq (captain), Imran Farhat, Saleem Elahi, Yasir Hameed, Yousuf Youhana, Shoaib Malik, Abdul Razzaq, Azhar Mahmood, Moin Khan, Danish Kaneria, Shabbir Ahmed, Mohammad Sami, Shoaib Akhtar, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Gul.