Junaid Khan – an exciting new arrival from the land of fast bowlers

 The soil of Pakistan is fertile for producing fast bowlers. From Lahore to Karachi, from Rawalpindi to Peshawar and Khyber Pass, one bowler crops up and another waits his turn in the wings to fascinate cricket. The legacy of Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and others is still continuing. The cricketing world was dazzled by the arrival of the hugely-talented Mohamamd Amir. The Mohammad Asif-Mohammad Amir duo enthralled the cricketing world, albeit fleetingly.

The Pakistani soil found quick and quality replacements. Junaid Khan is the latest, exciting Pakistani who has the talent to fill up the gap left by the talented Mohammad Aamer. Though not as talented as Aamer, Junaid has the merits and abilities to make the world sit up and take notice of his worth.

The first impressions I had of Junaid: he is a southpaw version of Umar Gul. Like Gul, Junaid has a smooth run-up. However, Junaid doesn’t have that momentum in his run-up which Gul has. That could be the reason why Junaid fails to generate the desired hostility.

But Junaid has control over his bowling. He hits a perfect length and, like Amir, uses the seam to a great extent. He looks hungry to give that extra bit while bowling. His stamina and zest to reach towards the best is impressive. In that respect, he seems different from many Pakistani cricketers over the years. He is focused and determined and has the fire in his belly to become the best fast bowler in world cricket.

He has the attitude to get there. While he may not be an Akram or an Amir as yet, he nevertheless is an exciting, raw talent waiting to be refined and nurtured in the pace bowling factory of Pakistan.

Keep an eye on this young man.

This article has been published in Cricket Country on 25/04/2011 http://www.cricketcountry.com/articles/junaid-khan-an-exciting-new-arrival-from-the-land-of-fast-bowlers-2159

Thank You

Faisal Caesar