Junaid shrugs off pressure

LAHORE – Pakistan left-arm pacer Junaid Khan, who was included in the World Cup squad after a knee injury ruled out Sohail Tanvir, has said he is aware of the responsibility that comes with representing the country and that he will be treating the mega event like any other tournament.
Junaid, 21, has been a consistent performer in junior cricket, domestic cricket and for the Pakistan ‘A’ side. He has impressed with his performance in the last couple of seasons for Abbottabad and performed well for the Pakistan ‘A’ in the Caribbean earlier this year. ‘I’m really excited at the thought of playing for my country in the World Cup,’ Junaid told pakpassion.net. ‘I obviously feel sorry for Sohail (Tanvir) and would have liked to have been called up into the squad in better circumstances, as it’s not good news for Sohail.’
Khan impressed with his ability to perform under pressure and he says he will treat the World Cup as any other tournament. ‘I have represented my country at junior levels and Pakistan ‘A’, so I know the responsibility of playing for the country. I don’t think I’ll be under pressure and I am confident I can handle the situation. I’ll treat it as just another game of cricket.’
Khan’s 167 wickets in first class cricket have come in only 35 matches and the youngster says he is working hard to make most of the opportunity. ‘I’ve been working so hard over the last couple of seasons and I feel that I have consistently improved as a bowler. I’ve also been working hard on my batting and I feel that my call up for the World Cup is warranted as I have done consistently well at all levels for Pakistan. My family and I are praying that the World Cup goes well for myself and Pakistan and that we come home with the Trophy in our hands.’
Meanwhile, Sohail Tanveer has said that he is fit and is surprised over his exclusion from the team. He has been dropped from Pakistan’s squad due to injury, but Sohail insists he is fit to play and should have been retained in the side. “I don’t know why they dropped me and the selectors should tell me the reason because I was fit and getting better in bowling and fielding. “It is a huge disappointment to be dropped from a major event like the World Cup at the last moment,” Tanvir said.