BULAWAYO, March 3: Pakistan’s premier batsman Inzamam-ul-Haq stormed out of his team’s practice session on Monday after a brawl with team-mates ahead of Tuesday’s key World Cup match against Zimbabwe.

The incident occurred while the squad was playing a game of football before the net session in which teammate Younis Khan argued with Inzamam over whether or not a goal had been scored cleanly.

When veteran opener Saeed Anwar intervened to separate the two, Inzamam pushed him to the ground, forcing coach Richard Pybus to call off the game and take the team back to the dressing room.

An angry Inzamam left the field and returned to the team hotel while the others resumed training after a short break.

Both captain Waqar Younis and coach Pybus played down the incident, but the pressure on the Pakistani players to qualify for the Super Six was clearly evident.

Pakistan need a big win against Zimbabwe to qualify after being stranded on eight points from their first five matches.

A simple victory for Zimbabwe will see the co-hosts through, otherwise England will take the third spot in Group A behind defending champions Australia and India.

“There was no brawl or real physical contact,” Pybus said. “It was just the normal kind of incident you get at a game of soccer. It meant nothing at all.

“They love their soccer as part of a fitness programme. I’m sure it was all in good and high spirits.”

Pybus, however, did not say why Inzamam had not taken part in the net session later.

Pakistan’s media manager Samiul Hasan said that Inzamam was “feeling sick” and had to return to the hotel.

“Pakistan manager Shaharayar Khan called both Inzamam and Younis and told them such a thing should not be repeated,” Hasan said.

“Inzamam is a senior player and probably felt bad that Younis had got into an argument with him. Inzi was also feeling sick and that’s why he went back.”

Younis Khan was also involved in a brawl with Shoaib Akhtar during Pakistan’s tour of Zimbabwe last December when the fast bowler sent Younis sprawling to the floor with a bouncer at the nets.—AFP