Just hours after salvaging a draw in the second Test to stay alive in the series, the Pakistan team management was engulfed in an inner conflict — the issue being the replacement for reserve wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed in the squad ahead of the Bangalore Test.

Chief selector Salluaddin Ahmed, who is traveling with the team, had initially decided upon uncapped fast bowler Abdur Rauf in consultation with coach Geof Lawson and stand-in skipper Younis Khan. Lawson, in fact went ahead and even announced Rauf as replacement in the post match media conference.

According to sources, later, skipper Shoaib Malik along with manager Talat Ali put their foot down and demanded that Rao Iftikhar Anjum join the squad ahead of the third Test. The suspense continued till late night and, finally, it was Malik who had his way.

Rao Iftikhar is now expected to fly into Delhi tomorrow evening before taking a connecting flight to Bangalore. Sarfraz, who has little role to play after Kamran Akmal’s return to form here, is expected to go back tomorrow morning Interestingly, Malik’s ankle injury is likely to keep him out of the third Test too. The plaster cast is expected to be opened only in December 6 and Younis may again have to fill in. Strangely in the given circumstances, Younis’ say in the team has been rather muted, so much so that he had openly said he had any knowledge of the inclusion of Shoaib Akhtar in the Kolkata Test.