Pakistan A v England Lions: Junaid Khan ready to step up
Thursday 21 January 2016 12:42, UK
Sajid Sadiq of www.pakpassion.net talks to Junaid Khan about Mohammad Amir's international return and facing England Lions...
Click here to read the interview in full…
Sajid Sadiq: There's a lot of competition in the Pakistani fast bowling ranks. Do you think you can get ahead of the competition?
Junaid Khan: I think there always has been competition in the Pakistan fast-bowling department and there always will be. When I came into the Pakistan team there were many fast bowlers around and it's the same situation now. Whether it be domestic cricket or international cricket, to succeed you have to be prepared to beat the competition and stay ahead of it. But on the other hand, I've never really let myself worry too much about rivals for the Pakistan shirt as whoever performs will get picked by the selectors and whoever doesn't perform will not be picked.
Sajid: Mohammad Amir's return to international cricket also adds to the competition and rivalry I guess?
Junaid: Yes, that's true. But I see this as a positive as Amir's return means competition for places is even tougher, which is good news for Pakistan cricket. Even Sohail Tanvir, Sohail Khan, Rahat Ali, Mohammad Irfan and Wahab Riaz are around and we all are fighting for places in the Pakistan team. Nobody can take their place for granted if the bench-strength is good, as the players who are playing know they have to perform, otherwise they will get replaced by someone who is just as good. The signs are good for Pakistan cricket as far as fast bowling is concerned because there is strong competition at the moment and the selectors have many choices in front of them.
Sajid: You recently captained Pakistan A against England Lions. Is captaincy something that you enjoy or are you a reluctant captain?
Junaid: I enjoy captaincy. I've captained in domestic cricket in all formats and I don't think I am someone who feels any additional pressure when leading the side. I've played under and alongside some very experienced cricketers and learnt from them and watched how they lead the team. As a captain, I think it's imperative that you learn from others and watch how they lead the team and then take on board all the good points of various styles of leadership.
Sajid: You will be leading Pakistan A against England Lions for five 50-over matches very soon. What are your personal targets for that series?
Junaid: It's an important series for both sets of players as I'm sure all of the players will be looking to make the next step to international cricket or like myself, make a return to international cricket. England Lions will be well prepared as they've been in UAE for a few weeks now. The players who have been performing in domestic cricket recently have been picked by the Pakistani selectors so I think it will be a hard-fought and a very close series. My personal aims are to make sure I help Pakistan A win the series first and foremost and that I perform well and enjoy the series. Sometimes cricketers forget to enjoy their cricket but I've told myself that I should enjoy playing cricket and then the performances will come.
