Pakistan fast bowler Junaid Khan was not at all happy after being left out of the 15-member squad for the 2019 World Cup and took a unique step to express his displeasure. Junaid was one of the notable omission from Pakistan’s final squad for the mega event. Junaid along with Abid Ali and Faheem Ashraf made way for three others in the squad.
Pakistan included fast-bowlers Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir and batsman Asif Ali in their squad. Amir, who has struggled since the 2017 Champions Trophy, was looking set to miss out on the World Cup spot. The left-arm pacer had failed to make it to Pakistan’s preliminary squad but was given a chance to make it to the squad after being named in the squad for the ODI series in England. However, he did not play a single game due to illness but has recovered in time for the marquee event.
Wahab, on the other hand, has not played an ODI since the first game of the 2017 Champions Trophy. Asif, however, recently impressed against England, scoring two fifties although Pakistan lost the series 4-0.
But whatever the intentions between PCB’s decision to recall Wahab and include Amir in the World Cup squad, Junaid was not impressed. He was an instrumental figure in Pakistan’s success at the Champions Trophy in 2017. He picked up eight wickets from four games at an average of 19.37 and an economy rate of 4.58.
Junaid, however, had failed to impress in the recently-concluded series against England. He managed just two wickets in as many games which perhaps made the Pakistan’s selectors to prefer the experienced Riaz and Amir.
But the decision miffed Junaid as he took to Twitter to vent his anger. The pacer posted a picture of himself on Twitter with a black tape across his mouth and wrote, “I dont want to say anything. Truth is bitter.”
https://twitter.com/JunaidkhanREAL/status/1130469673152241664