Srinagar, May 5: Out of favour Pakistan left arm pacer Junaid Khan has said that , one cant survive in Pakistan cricket team without having good relationship with coach and captain.
Junaid in an interview with Cricket Pakistan revealed that he was not backed enough and being from small city also did not help his cause .
“If you have a good relationship with the coaches and captain, then you get more chances. It also depends on the city you belong to. If you belong to a big city, then people raise a voice for you. People like me and Yasir Shah are from Swabi. There is no TV channel or media person from Swabi, so there is no pressure on selectors regarding our selection from media,” Junaid Khan was quoted as saying in Cricket Pakistan.
Junaid Khan in the same interview also said that he performed well but still wasn’t given consistent run or backed enough .
“I used to be part of the national team in all three formats. I used to ask for rest but I wasn’t given rest. Then came a time when I got in the bad books and was being ignored due to likes and dislikes. I was performing but was not being given a proper chance,” Khan said.
The Pakistan speedster said despite doing well in ICC Champions Trophy 2017, he wasn’t suported and got into bad books of selectors .
“I was the second-highest wicket-taker after Hasan Ali in Champions Trophy. But I got in the bad books of selectors, which resulted in my exclusion. I was dropped from the World Cup squad after being initially named in it,” he said.
In the same interview with Cricket Pakistan Junaid Khan revealed that he has got offers from USA but turned them down.
“I have played around 120 matches for Pakistan, but I feel disappointed because I could have played around 200 matches till now. I got a great offer from the United States of America (USA). I am being offered more money than what I earned while playing for Pakistan during my peak. However, I refused the offer as I still want to represent Pakistan,” he said.
“I am playing in domestic and you can still make a comeback in Pakistan team even if you are 35 or 36 years old if you are in the good books of selectors. I am working on my fitness and improving my skills,” he concluded.