Pakistan have lost their opening batsman Yasir Hameed with typhoid for the first Test against India which starts on Jan. 13.
Chief selector Wasim Bari told Reuters that the in form Yasir had fallen ill with the disease and needed at least another three days to make a complete recovery.
Yasir, 27, who has played 17 Tests and 48 one-dayers was included in the list of Pakistan probables for the first Test and according to captain Inzamam-ul-Haq was a front runner to open against India.
"It is unfortunate losing Yasir this way because he was in good form. But we are now looking at other options as the first Test of a series is always important," Inzamam said on Sunday.
Yasir scored 57 in his last outing for Pakistan against England in December.
Bari said that a 15-member Pakistan squad would be announced only for the first Test on Monday. "I have held discussions with the captain and coach and we are yet to finalise the opening pair," Bari said.
Pakistan's other options for a partner for opener Salman Butt are all rounders Shoaib Malik, who opened in the Tests against England, the quick-scoring Shahid Afridi and the uncapped Rifatullah Mohmand.
Mohmand who belongs to Peshawar scored a fifty against England in a one-day practice match in Lahore in December.
Inzamam said that apart from Yasir the rest of the players were fine and eager for the contest against India.
"Malik did a pretty decent job against England but he is not a specialist opener and we have to look at that," Inzamam told reporters.
India are also facing another dilemma of sorts with the arrival of former captain and seasoned batsman Sourav Ganguly on Saturday.
With the Indian middle order established in the presence of captain Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Venkatsai Laxman, Yuvraj Singh and wicketkeeper Mahendra Dhoni, Ganguly is facing stiff competition to get into the team for the first Test.
To complicate matters for the Indian selectors, openers Gautam Gambhir and Wasim Jaffer are also vying for a slot to open with the established Virender Sehwag.
Ganguly, a veteran of 86 Tests and 279 one-day internationals, missed the tour match before the first Test but Gautam, Jaffer, Dravid, Tendulkar, Laxman and Yuvraj all got fifties in the match.
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