I am not jealous of Mohammad Amir: Junaid Khan

Pakistan team is currently in the state of crisis in the ongoing Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates. Their bowlers’ performances have come under the scanner after they weren’t able to take a wicket against India on Sunday. More than anyone, Mohammad Amir‘s form is a worrying concern for them who hasn’t picked even a single wicket in the last six ODIs and has now made way for Junaid Khan in the must-win game against Bangladesh.

Many are perplexed over Pakistan team management benching Junaid despite being in the squad. He has 100 wickets to his name in One-Day International after playing 69 matches and has done much better than his teammate who has 58 wickets in 46 outings. But one has to admit that ever since Amir has come back to the side, Junaid’s appearances for his country have been far and few.

Our bond was misinterpreted earlier

Meanwhile, there were reports of Junaid Khan being jealous of Mohammad Amir for taking his place in the side. But while speaking to ESPN Cricinfo, he cleared all the doubts about the same and said that his bond with the left-arm fast bowler was misinterpreted.

“It can’t be called jealousy, we both compete against each other. Sometimes, we look at whose day it is. If Amir is having a good day, then I look to maintain rather than attack the batsman. If I am getting a few wickets, then Amir tries to maintain and not attack too much. If both of us are doing well, then we try to get wickets from both ends,” Junaid said.

He was also of the opinion that bowling with the new ball is an added incentive for the fast bowler as they can claim wickets up front for the team. “When you start with the new ball, you have more chances, just like when you open the batting, you have more chances. Amir and I get more wickets for this reason since we bowl with the new ball,” the 28-year-old added.

[interaction id=”5ba8a7d2d6d3b0c770e77185″]

Keep following CricTracker for more news and updates.