KARACHI, Jan 23: The recent reports of a fallout between the selectors and the team management, filtering in from the Pakistan cricket camp during the past three days, have once again thrown the game into a turmoil.

Sources close to the team confirmed on Wednesday that the continuous stand-off between the selectors, led by chairman Salahuddin Ahmed, and skipper Shoaib Malik and coach Geoff Lawson over composition of the squad against minnows Zimbabwe had worsened during the week and was, in fact, heading for an ugly climax.

According to the sources, skipper Malik’s obstinacy over adhering to a playing eleven of his choice had clearly rubbed the selectors wrong way as they remained mindful of the dictatorial regime of Malik’s mentor –- former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq –- that eventually led to the shameful World Cup debacle in the Caribbean last year.

It is, of course, no secret that Inzamam, during the later days of his captaincy tenure, repeatedly overruled selectors’ decisions and completely undermined the authority of the PCB bosses while leading his chosen band of men to demoralising defeats in South Africa and the World Cup.

Malik’s insistence on playing the struggling wicket-keeper-batsman Kamran Akmal as opener against the Zimbabweans and his unflinching loyalty with a rather expensive Rao Iftikhar are among the few issues that are being constantly debated over by the selectors.

Also, the skipper’s reluctance to try out newer, younger players against Prosper Utseya’s men and his obvious disregard for seasoned all-rounder Shahid Afridi and pacer Umar Gul has also irked the selectors no end.

On Monday, dashing young opener Nasir Jamshed’s brilliant debut in the opening tie vindicated the selectors’ decision of playing a specialised opener. In comparison, Kamran’s last five outings as opener have fetched him just 35 runs besides affecting his efficiency behind the stumps.

The disagreement between the two parties dates back to the national team’s tour of India last November when the selectors and the team management, after much deliberations over the replacement of injured pace duo of Shoaib Akhtar and Umar Gul for the second Test in Kolkata, finally sent for in-form rookie pacer Abdul Rauf.

An announcement to this effect was also formally made to the media that evening but the plans were suddenly thrown in a quagmire when — thanks to Malik’s high-handed attitude — Rao upstaged Rauf as a late replacement for the crucial match.

Malik’s decision to leave out Yasir Arafat in Kolkata despite the talented all-rounder’s timely arrival on the morning of the second Test also left vice captain Younis Khan — then makeshift skipper — and the selectors red in the face.Yasir’s magnificent all-round display in the third Test at Bangalore showed Malik’s earlier decision in a poor light besides giving credence to reports that the Sialkot-born player was keen to run the show on his whims and fancies.

The hitherto listless and unimpressive performance of Aussie coach Geoff Lawson has only added fuel to the fire in the ongoing tussle between the selectors and the team management.

The series against Zimbabwe is Lawson’s third assignment with the Pakistan team and he is yet to make a notable impact on the overall faring of the squad. While experts and the stalwarts of the game have begun to doubt the former Aussie pacer’s ability to motivate the side, sources in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirm that the board’s top brass is now getting quite edgy over Lawson’s lackluster approach towards his job.

His recent interference in the selection matters has, apparently, incensed the selection committee and a local newspaper was quick to report this week about the frequent exchange of hot words between the chief selector and the coach which, it said, created bad blood in the team meetings.

“The selectors rightfully feel that they are doing their job honestly by picking up the best possible squad besides visiting the domestic tournaments to mark the future prospects,” said a source in the PCB.

“But with Malik’s strong likes and dislikes often coming into play and Lawson’s inability to lift the team, all the selectors’ efforts and hard work is now going to waste.”

The sources added that while Chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf was trying his best to mediate in the growing rift between the warring factions, he may not be able to hold the big fall out for long which could be disastrous as Pakistan prepared to face the invincible Australians in its most crucial tour in the recent cricketing history.