Mohammad Junaid Khan (; born 24 December 1989) is a Pakistani international cricketer who bowls left arm fast. He is the first player from Swabi to qualify for the Pakistan national cricket team. His cousin, the leg-spinner Yasir Shah, followed his path later. Junaid Khan was a member of the Pakistan team that won the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy.
After an injury to Sohail Tanvir on the eve of the 2011 World Cup, Khan was called up as his replacement, with no experience in international cricket. Khan did not play in the tournament, and later made his One Day International debut in April 2011. In June that year Khan represented Lancashire County Cricket Club in English domestic cricket.
In August 2018, he was one of 33 players to be awarded a central contract for the 2018–19 season by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Career
Sighting
No cricketer had come from Swabi before and Khan didn't take an interest in cricket initially. He played with tape-ball and was introduced to hard ball set up by his cousin. At age 16 he was measured as the fastest bowler in the NWFP Twenty/20 competition. Khan said, "Some of my team mates suggested that I should go for the Under 17 trials Abbottabad. I was in two minds but afterwards I was relieved that I attended the trials, as Ehteshamuddin spotted me and told me that I had potential and that I should go to Lahore".
Early domestic career
Khan made his first-class debut on 24 January 2007 at the age of 17. Playing for Abbottabad against Multan, his first wicket was that of Majid Majeed. The match ended in a draw and Khan finished with four wickets for 57 runs (4/57). For four years he took wickets consistently for his domestic team Abottabad and he was the team's chief strike bowler. He also played for Abbottabad Falcons in the Faysal Bank Twenty20.
In the 2008/09 season, Khan represented the Khan Research Laboratories cricket team and played for them in the final of the 2008/09 Quaid-i-Azam Trophy; he took a single wicket in the match as his team lost to Sialkot. Khan also played for Pakistan A. In the unofficial Test series between Pakistan A and Sri Lanka A in 2010, Khan was his team's leading wicket-taker with ten from two matches.
Selection into the Pakistan team
Following the recurrence of a knee injury to Sohail Tanvir, the uncapped Khan was added in Pakistan's squad for the 2011 World Cup.
He did not play a single match in the tournament and was forced to wait for his ODI debut. When Pakistan toured the West Indies for two Tests, five ODIs, and a T20I in April and May Khan was included in the squad. On 21 April, Khan made his T20I debut and went wicketless in the match.
Two days later, Khan, Mohammad Salman, and Hammad Azam made their ODI debuts against West Indies. Opening the bowling with Wahab Riaz, Khan conceded 49 runs from 10 overs without taking a wicket. Pakistan won the series 3–2 and Khan finished with three wickets from five matches, making him the team's fourth highest wicket-taker. His first ODI wicket was that of Marlon Samuels.
In May, Pakistan toured Ireland for a two-match ODI series. Khan was Man of the Match in the first fixture, taking four wickets for twelve runs to help Pakistan to a seven-wicket victory. Pakistan won the series 2–0 and Khan finished as the second-highest wicket-taker for the series with six at an average of 10.83. On the advice of former Pakistan and Lancashire all-rounder Wasim Akram, Lancashire signed Khan on "modest terms" according to coach Mike Watkinson to play for them in the Friends Life t20 in June with the possibility of playing in the County Championship. Problems with his visa meant Khan's Lancashire debut was delayed and it was not until 27 June that he represented Lancashire for the first time in a twenty20 match. Later that month Khan made his County Championship debut against Durham, stepping in for the injured Farveez Maharoof, Lancashire's other overseas player. While playing for Lancashire he took career best t20 bowling figures of 3/12 against the Derbyshire Falcons. During his spell with the club, Khan received advice from Akram on how to bowl in English conditions.
In August, Khan was awarded a category C central contract with the Pakistan Cricket Board; six players were in category A, eight in B, and nine (including Khan) in C. When Pakistan toured Zimbabwe in September for a Test three ODIs and two T20Is, the national selectors took the opportunity to give inexperienced players an opportunity. Frontline bowlers Wahab Riaz and Umar Gul were rested and Khan was chosen as part of the squad.