PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Dec 1 (AFP) - Pakistan's seven-wicket defeat by Zimbabwe in the first Test here has pushed national cricket deeper into trouble, analysts said on Wednesday.

Pakistan's 1-0 loss to a formidable Australian side in October was taken as a one-off failure, but Monday's humiliation in Peshawar has sparked bitter recriminations in cricket circles, they said.

The media reacted with harsh headlines.

"Aamir's Pakistan in Hall of Shame", a caption in the News daily said, while another in The Nation read "Pakistan enter Hall of Shame."

A commentator said the Pakistanis led by captain Aamir Sohail were "more active off the field."

Sohail was reportedly considering stepping down after the humiliating defeat by Zimbabwe, sources said.

"I don't want to go into any controversy but the trouble is right from the top to bottom and we do not know what we want to do in the selection, in the preparation of pitches and strategy," said former cricket star Zaheer Abbas.

"It was sad we dropped spinner Saqlain Mushtaq in the Peshawar Test and that caused the real damage. He is the most difficult bowler to play," Abbas added.

He criticised the captain, saying that Sohail had failed to motivate the team.

Off-field problems like a current inquiry into alleged match-fixing and betting in Pakistan cricket is also seen as having an impact on the morale and performance of the players.

"The on-going judicial inquiry is affecting players and that's why we wanted it to be completed as soon as possible," an official of the Pakistan Cricket Board said.

"The team is definitely plagued by internecine tussles and differences," said a commentator.

After the Test here Sohail and coach Javed Miandad openly disagreed.

"We were a batsman short in the Peshawar Test," Sohail said in his post-match comments.

But Miandad, sitting beside Sohail intervened with a characteristically blunt statement.

"How can one say that? Moin is a specialist batsman and Azhar Mahmood has three centuries in Tests," the former test batsman said.

Former Chief selector Hasib Ehsan believed the differences between the Chairman of Oajustab Cricket Board Khalid Mahmood and Chief Executive Majid Khan were the "root cause of national cricket being at the crossroads."

"I think their differences have left cricket in this situation and I demand that both be sacked by the Pakistan president," Ehsan said.

President Muhammad Rafiq Tarar is the patron of the cricket board and appoints the top officials of the body.