An argument with bowling coach, Azhar Mahmood has cost Pakistan pacer Sohail Khan dearly as he has been dropped from all formats for the tour to the West Indies, a newspaper report said.
Although chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq and national team head coach Mickey Arthur have claimed that Sohail has been dropped for the West Indies tour because of fitness issues, but the 'Jang' newspaper reported today that the pacer was dropped on disciplinary grounds.
The newspaper reported that the argument took place during the Pakistan Super League where Sohail played for Karachi Kings franchise, which also had Arthur and Azhar as the franchise's head and bowling coach.
"Sohail at one point during the play-off against Peshawar Zalmi flatly refused to listen to what advice the bowling coach gave him. He also accused Azhar of always favouring and being soft on his two favorite bowlers, Wahab Riaz and Mohammad Aamir," the report said.
"Sohail told Azhar that he (Azhar) was always targeting him in the Pakistan team and that he couldn't tolerate this any longer."
The report said that Azhar, a former Pakistan all-rounder, was extremely upset after the outburst by Sohail and reported the matter to Arthur and also gave Sohail a piece of his mind in the Karachi Kings dressing room in Dubai.
Apparently the matter was then brought to the notice of the chief selector but he insists that Sohail's ouster from the West Indies tour was mainly because of his fitness and fielding issues.
But the newspaper claimed that it was the alteration with Azhar and his attitude which eventually led to his ouster from the Pakistan team.
The selectors and Arthur had faced lot of criticism for dropping Sohail, who was declared the best bowler of the PSL last month.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)