Khan do attitude: Junaid eager to reclaim his place

25-year-old hopes to perform for WAPDA after not playing against England

KARACHI: Disappointed at getting no opportunity during the Test series with England, left-arm pacer Junaid Khan is eager to make a return by doing well in domestic cricket for his side Wapda.

Junaid, who was Pakistan’s fast-bowling spearhead as recently as 2013-14, has not enjoyed similar success since recovering from a knee injury that forced him out of the World Cup.

He was named for the three-Test series against England but, while likes of Imran Khan and Rahat Ali were chosen to partner new spearhead Wahab Riaz, Junaid was only limited to the sidelines.

“I’m disappointed not to play any part in the Test series against England but that is how life goes —you have ups and downs in your career,” Junaid told The Express Tribune. “It isn’t a nice feeling to be limited to the dugout because as a player you want to play and perform for the team.”

Junaid optimistic about performing against England

The 25-year-old realises he has had a fall from grace in recent times but is eager to learn from the setbacks. “Things have changed drastically for me because for a good two years, I was the spearhead of the side. Now I can’t even get a place in the playing eleven,” he said. “I’m learning a lot in this phase of my career and hopefully this will allow me to come back stronger.”

In his short 22-Test career, Junaid has picked up 71 wickets with five five-wicket hauls, while he has also claimed 78 scalps in 52 ODIs.

The left-armer said that he did not ask the team management why he was not being played but confirmed that he did have a general discussion with coaches Mushtaq Ahmed and Waqar Younis, both of whom urged him to go back and find his rhythm in domestic cricket.

Junaid stated that he has overcome his injury problems fully and his continuous participation in matches in England’s domestic circuit, Pakistan’s Test camp and Pakistan-A prove as much.

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“I’m fully fit and it’s about getting the chance and winning back hearts,” he said. “My focus is now on doing well in domestic cricket for Wapda once the new round begins in a couple of days’ time.”

The Abbottabad man is understandably eager to scale the heights he did two years ago. “My target is to take lots of wickets so that I can convince the selectors and the team management that I’ve not lost my touch and can still lead the attack for Pakistan,” he said. “It’s not just about Test cricket. I want to come back and cement my place across all three formats.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 7^th, 2015.

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