Twitter not pleased with Pakistan benching Junaid Khan in the second ODI against England

Pakistan are currently touring England for a limited-overs series as their final preparation ahead of the ICC World Cup starting later this month. Sarfaraz Ahmed’s side did well to win all three side games in the tour but lost to England in the only T20I. The first ODI between the two teams at the Oval got washed away by rain and on Saturday, they locked horns in their second ODI at the Rose Bowl, Southampton. Sarfaraz won the toss and elected to field and the English openers put up a good score up front.

Pakistan continued to ignore pacer Junaid Khan as the cricketer was not picked for the second ODI either and it did not leave many supporters happy. The 30-year-old Junaid has played only one side game against Northamptonshire on this tour but he proved to be the team’s most expensive bowler, conceding 79 runs in 10 overs with just one wicket. Pakistan though won the game by 8 wickets but Junaid didn’t get a call again.

Junaid is a member of Pakistan WC squad

The left-arm fast bowler is a member of Pakistan’s World Cup squad but the team management’s decision against playing him in the crunch games ahead of the WC has disappointed a lot of people. Reactions also came on social media about Junaid Khan’s exclusion who has picked 108 wickets in 74 matches and last appeared for his country in the home series against Australia in March. He played three matches in that series and took four wickets with the best bowling figures of 3 for 73 in Dubai.

Junaid’s experience of missing out on playing for Pakistan has disappointed even him earlier. Junaid felt the Pakistan Cricket Board continued to overlook him despite doing well and the selectors were of the idea that his knee injury had stopped him from giving the best. He even had expressed the desire of settling in England and playing for the English national side one day.

The other left-arm seamer Mohammad Amir, for whom the current series is also key as far as prospects of making the WC are concerned, also missed out from the second game after failing to get an opportunity to deliver in the first match.

Here’s how Twitter reacted:

Junaid Khan in Squad and we opted to open bowling with Fahim Ashraf 🤔

— Abdul Ghaffar (@GhaffarDawnNews) May 11, 2019

Why junaid khan is not playing today 😡

— Ammar nizamani (@AmmarNizamnai) May 11, 2019

The main problem of @TheRealPCB is that who is going to take wickts for them bcoz right now every bowler is looking an ordinary against the England batting still cant understand why #Junaid khan is not playing today. @iRashidLatif @adeel_azhar @faizanlakhani @DanishAnisShaik

— Farhan Siddiqui (@urfarhan) May 11, 2019

What is Yasir Shah doing in the playing X1 & Y is Junaid Khan being ignored.? Not able to comprehend the logic from Pakistani management. Frustrating!#PAKvENG

— Sʜᴇɪᴋʜ Bᴀꜱɪᴛ (@SB2weets) May 11, 2019

Junaid Khan… What wrong has he done to not to be picked?

— Supermaniac!! (@iamOnlyLegend) May 11, 2019

I’m all for Amir for the World Cup but not letting Junaid Khan play just because he’s a potential replacement is ridiculous. #ENGvPAK

— Fatima Shah (@FatimaShah95) May 11, 2019

@hadouken51 again missing Junaid Khan. The best thing about him is he often gets 1 early wkt which put batting team on a bit defensive mode. And it often goes un-noticed.

— khushalkakar (@khushalkakar1) May 11, 2019

Last 7 ODIs.

Junaid Khan 9 Wickets.

Fahim Ashraf 1 Wicket.

Amir 2 Wickets.

Junaid Khan Dropped from both ODIs against England.

Explain me Please.#ENGvPAK

— Pakistan Zindabad (@mudassir01010) May 11, 2019

ye sab hme pagal bana ray hai .. kxh nai hua use . agr amir nai khel skkta tha to junaid khan ko khila lete . faheem ashraf kaise unhe replace kr skkta tha . sab mill k kia jara ha ta k amir world cup me na khele 😡

— Ahmad Amir (@AhmadAm50181269) May 11, 2019

Faheem Ashraf & Yasir Shah should be replaced by Junaid Khan & Mohammad Hasnain.

Junaid, Hasan, Hasnain, Shaheen, Imad, Haris would be enough. #ENGvPAK #PAKvENG

— Sayeem Siddiqui (@SiddiquiSayeem) May 11, 2019

Why yasir shah never catches them viral fevers 😒😒😒 He’s in plying 11 and so is Faheem ahead of junaid khan sarfraz and Mickey have lost their minds #ENGvPAK

— حسام (@durfiteymun) May 11, 2019

Whats cookin' for JUNAID KHAN?🏏 Only one tour game. Statements given on others but no words for JK by Management. Also said that its Hasnain who's on rest. If Amir was fit today, will he had been still on bench with Yasir in? Than why not JK replacing Amir in 2nd ODI?🇵🇰#ENGvPAK

— Arfa Feroz Zake (@ArfaSays_) May 11, 2019

Why not junaid khan.. Disgusting

— Shahid kamal (@Shahidkamal702) May 11, 2019

Mediocrity of #Pakistan's pace bowling.#Amir, #JunaidKhan, #FaheemAshraf and even #HasanAli have failed to pick up wickets.
The bowler with the best bowling strike rate in ODIs #Shinwari, is not even in the 17 men squad.#ENGvPAK #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/vnG6NBwp0o

— Annus Raza (@annusraza) May 11, 2019

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