Pakistan has regularly produced terrific fast bowlers. Many among them fizzled out after showing initial promise. Left-arm pacer Junaid Khan was one such player. He played 22 Tests and 76 ODIs taking 71 and 110 wickets respectively. He also played in nine T20Is for Pakistan, scalping eight batters. However, he could never rise to greater heights to be counted among the top fast bowlers that Pakistan produced. Now, in a recent tweet, he commented on how dismissing Virat Kohli, Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj in an ODI in Chennai in 2012 changed his career.
In the match, Khan bowled a terrific opening spell to bowl out Sehwag (4), Kohli (0) and Yuvraj (2). He also got the wicket of Rohit Sharma (4). He finished the match with figured of 4/43 in nine overs as India could only score 227/6 in 50 overs. Pakistan won the game by six wickets.
A twitter user recently posted a video (which has been removed now) with the caption: “One of The Most Ferocious Opening Spell I’ve Ever Witnessed”. Junaid retweeted the video, commenting: “I think this was my career turning point. what do you think?”
I think this was my career turning point. what do you think? https://t.co/jwJCY50loo
— Junaid khan 83 (@JunaidkhanREAL) June 28, 2022
The replies that Junaid got, however, were most Twitter users trolling him for not making it big.
Here are some of the replies.
Did you have a career?
— Minha A. Khan (@Minha__khan) June 28, 2022
This was a brilliant spell. But with all due respect, you never bowled with such pace and hunger ever again. Probably it was your fitness, or perhaps the conditions in Chennai were more helpful, but we never saw the same movement in your bowling again even in helpful conditions.
— Saifullah Khan (@S_Khan91) June 28, 2022
Yes but what happened after that?
— Waseem Abbasi (@Wabbasi007) June 28, 2022
then you slow your pace, if you had work for your fitness then you will be another wasim akram but sadly you have have decreased your pace
— Engr.Mohib Ullah kakar (@Mohibullah4449) June 28, 2022
Meanwhile, Pakistan will complete their warm-up for this year’s ICC T20 Cricket World Cup with a tri-series against New Zealand and Bangladesh in early October. Babar Azam‘s side will travel to New Zealand at the start of October for a minimum of four T20I matches in Christchurch ahead of their T20 World Cup opener against arch-rival India at the MCG on October 23. It will be the first time Babar has played an international T20 match on New Zealand soil since the start of 2018 after the Pakistan captain missed the 2020/21 tour due to a thumb injury.
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