KARACHI: Discarded Pakistan fast bowler Junaid Khan on Friday said that he is working hard to impress the selectors and is hopeful of making a comeback in the national team in near future.

The left-arm fast bowler who has represented Pakistan in 22 Tests, 76 ODIs and 9 T2OIs, said the selectors in Pakistan should talk to the players about their selection and their future which is the professional way of going about it, as is done in England and Australia.

“As far as I am concerned I can still a make comeback to Pakistan squad because I have lot of cricket left in me,” said Junaid.. “I don’t have any plan to take rest from any format. I played the National T20 Cup and now I am playing in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and working hard to regain my place in the Pakistan team.”

Junaid said his post on Twitter after the 2019 World Cup squad was a reaction to the fact that he heard about his exclusion from the media and the selectors never told him about it. “Experienced players who have served Pakistan for a long time deserve more respect and better handling,” said Junaid.

Junaid said the day he realised he can’t make a come back in the Pakistan team he will call it quits.

“I have a UK nationality too and I have the option of playing county cricket and earn more than what I am earning now from Pakistan’s domestic cricket,” argued Junaid. “But I want to represent and serve Pakistan again as this country give me everything and whatever I have achieved is because of Pakistan.”

Junaid said it’s a great thing that Pakistan is able to play domestic cricket and now international series against Zimbabwe in the Covid-19 era and the PCB must be praised for this.

“To be honest it was tough in start to be in bio secure bubble and live without family for a long time. But for us cricketers, it is important to keep playing as any long gap could be very depressing,” observed the pacer. “The PCB did a great job by arranging regular cricket activity.”

In the end, Junaid said he is hopeful about doing his best for his franchise Multan Sultan in the coming playoffs and the arrival of international cricketers in Pakistan in the present situation will be huge boost for the country’s cricket.

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2020