From Inzy to Hafeez: A short history of Pakistan's infighting

There has been speculation that Pakistan skipper Mohammad Hafeez and the Pakistan team management are at loggerheads with regards to selection in the ICC World T20 in Bangladesh. This is par for the course. It wouldn’t be Pakistan cricket if everyone was getting along. Here are some previous instances where two or more members of Pakistan cricket were at loggerheads:

1. 2003 World Cup – Pakistan’s star batsman Inzamam-ul Haq was involved in a training session bust up with Younis Khan and Saeed Anwar ahead of their clash against Zimbabwe. Inzamam reportedly had an argument with Younis while playing football, Saeed Anwar tried to intervene but an agitated Inzamam pushed him to the ground. The coach, Richard Pybus, was forced to call off the practice session after the incident.

2. Shoaib Akhtar vs Mohammad Asif: Just before the start of the inaugural World T20 in South Africa in 2007, troubled pacer Akhtar and Asif were involved in a major row. Akthar reportedly hit Asif with a bat after an argument involving all-rounder Shahid Afridi. The Rawalpindi Express was promptly sent home and slapped with a 13-match ban by the PCB for good measure.

3. Infighting on the 2009-10 Australian tour: The Pakistan Cricket Board found senior pros Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan guilty of infighting on the Pakistan’s abject 2010 Australian tour and banned them indefinitely from representing Pakistan. However, the PCB lifted the ban on Younis later the same year. Yousuf though, remained banned.

4. Misbah-ul-Haq vs Mohammad Hafeez: During Pakistan’s tour of South Africa last year, reports surfaced from the Pakistan media that the ODI and Test captain, Misbah, had a verbal altercation with T20 captain Hafeez during a warm-up match. It was reported that the difference was over where Hafeez would bat. Misbah and the Pakistan team management rubbished the claims later.