Who is the better Test bowler: Junaid Khan or Mohammad Amir?

[Shaik]

Please don't blast me for this question.

I was just going through some stats. And, I found it really shocking.

In one word, we would simply say, Amir is better. But, with in depth analysis, it's a different story(albeit statistically).

Both have played similar number of tests, and sample size is good.

Tests:

Amir:28
Junaid:22

Average:

Amir: 31.47
Junaid: 31.73

Difference of 0.26, which equals to 0.

Economy:

Amir: 2.92
Junaid: 2.93

Difference of 0.01, which equals to 0.

Strike rate(Balls per wicket):

Amir: 64.5
Junaid: 64.8

Difference of 0.3, which equals to 0.

So all three criterias to analyse, are almost similar.

Then moving forward,

Amir played 28 matches, out of which 23 are OUTSIDE ASIA. That accounts to, 82% of matches OUTSIDE ASIA, 18% in ASIA.

Junaid played 22 matches, out of which just 4 are OUTSIDE ASIA. That accounts to, just 18% of matches OUTSIDE ASIA, 82% in ASIA.


I AM NOT TRYING TO PROVE, JUNAID IS A BETTER BOWLER, BUT THOSE ARE CONTRASTING FIGURES, WHICH NO ONE CAN DENY.

PERCENTAGE OF OUTSIDE ASIA, ASIA.

AMIR: 82%, 18%.
JUNAID: 18%, 82%.

Despite this, the averages, the economies and the strike rates are almost similar.


Who is/ will be a better Test bowler?

 

[Shaik]

Please both set of fans, don't blast the others.

Don't say Junaid is a chucker or, Amir is being given a golden boy treatment. Just give your honest opinion. Thank you.

 

[Shaik]

I personally reckon, Amir could be better, if he pitches the ball up. He needs to make the batsmen play.

Amir is better with the new ball. He can swing it.

Junaid is better with the old ball as he can reverse much better compared to Amir. He can also seam it.

Pakistan should have these 5 players in the Test squad.

In playing 11:

Amir (Left Arm, could swing)
Junaid (Left Arm, could seam and reverse)
Hassan(Right arm, could swing, seam and reverse)

Back up:
Abbas (Right arm, could swing and reverse)
Faheem (as an AR and 3rd seamers in spin friendly conditions)

 

[Square Drive]

Junaid's stats would only get worse if he continues playing Tests, while Amir's will get better from here.

That said, Junaid's ODI comeback has been decent and he deserves to be persisted with in that format.

 

[waleed88]

Amir has one 5'fer to show for a year of foreign tours including NZ, Aus and England and that too came against WI in one game...

Poor junaid has all of his 5'fers on flat tracks of UAE and Srilanka... the playing field is heavily biased in favor of Amir and yet his stats are as shoddy as Tanvir Ahmed level

 

[aloo paratha]

Both can play at the same time n my opinion, however as of now, Abbas has earned his spot in the test team more than Junaid so he should be in. Junaid can be a backup.

The Junaid of a couple of years ago was definitely a better test bowler than Amir of now.

 

[Shaik]

One more stat to be looked into is, you might think that Junaid has played in ASIA and would have boosted his stats by playing against minnows(in tests).

No.

Total wickets:

Amir:94
Wickets against top test teams(AUS, NZ, SA, ENG, SL(SL had great test players 2 years earlier)): 75

That equals to 80% of his wickets are against top test teams.

Junaid:71
Wickets against top test teams: 56

That equals to 79% of his wickets are against top test teams.

PERCENTAGE OF WICKETS AGAINST TOP TEST TEAMS, OTHER TEST TEAMS:

AMIR: 80%, 20%
JUNAID: 79%, 21%.

Even in this Junaid is similar to Amir.

Once this pair starts bowling together in tests, it would be much easier to differentiate.

 

[ExpressPacer]

I really like Junaid Khan the bowler, especially since he's proven his determination and returned with his pace, fitness and seam back on line in the Champions Trophy however, Junaid is the type of bowler who'll often go unnoticed and remain under the shadow of his partners (previously Irfan, now Amir) because he isn't intimidating, doesn't really have the X factor or swagger other Paksitani bowlers have.

He's a hard worker who uses his brain to get wickets. Builds pressure by bowling maidens and thrives on the pressure created by his partners in the field and with the ball. Amir on the other hand has pace, swing, a cheeky smile, brilliant fielding, reliable batting and most of all, notoriety. I know we're comparing them as bowlers but these things play a huge role in forming an image and the character that we picture when we first hear the name. Their statistics may be identical, in fact, Junaid's may even be better but Amir will forever be the first person the experts, analysts, fans, selectors, the coach and the captain name because of the fact that he's a big match player.

Anyway, my final answer is Amir. If Junaid can get his venom of his peak back, he can become the better of the two but Amir is ahead as of now.

 

[hussain123]

It is a no brainer comparison.mohd amir is qualitatively far more versatile.

 

[Shaik]

Both can play at the same time n my opinion, however as of now, Abbas has earned his spot in the test team more than Junaid so he should be in. Junaid can be a backup.

The Junaid of a couple of years ago was definitely a better test bowler than Amir of now.

I feel the same. Till 2019 WC, he should not play tests. Can't risk his fitness and a strike bowler at the world cup.

 

[FreePalestine]

Abbas deserves the third seamer spot more than Junaid at the moment in test cricket.

Yes, Junaid of old was becoming a great bowler, but he doesn't have the extravagant swing anymore and relies more on seam movement and accuracy in ODI's to take wickets, where he is doing a good job.

Needless to say, if I am not picking Junaid in the test XI, then I think Amir is currently a better test bowler than him.

 

[Kohli The King of Chase]

Some interesting facts there. Despite bowling in these dead wickets, junaid's stats are quite similar to Amir. Where, Amir has mostly played outside Asia.

Junaid has to be brought back if u guys have to be competitive. Amir is not useful in tests, in Asian conditions.

 

[JibranAnsari]

Junaid is a better seamer and also can reverse swing the ball better than amir does.

 

[ToeCrusher2]

Amir isn't cut out for test cricket, he should stick to limited overs game, he doesn't have it in him to succeed at the highest level

 

[Savak]

Junaid Khan is severely under rated and very whole hearted, he single handedly carried our attack while golden boy was outside the team.

 

[Prince of Pakistan]

People do as if Junaid was thrown out by the selectors. He was given a very long run despite his struggles in 2015/2016 where he lost pace and his bowling mojo. Junaid and Irfan were our main pacers between 2012 and 2015. After that Junaid deserved to be dropped for a while for his own sake.

Both Amir and Junaid played for the same u-19 team and complimented each other well in that most talented youth cricket team for Pak ever. Both were seen as potentially good players for the national team.

Yet people would opt for Amir and not Junaid. Amir is a thinking bowler who wouldn't go for runs even on bowling graveyards while Junaid is a bowler who needs his mojo going otherwise he will get spanked around ala Gul. On his days Junaid is very good but not consistent. I really hope Junaid gets his fitness and that old form back again this season. At the moment most would go for Amir.

In the UAE I wouldn't opt for neither Junaid or Amir. On these dust bowls you need someone like Wahab, Hasan to get the opposition uncomfortable so that the spinners can benefit.

 

[CricFan2012]

both are utter dross, need to try fresh pacers like sadaf

 

[Hasan123]

I'll take Amir over Junaid in tests.

 

[Adil_94]

in Asian conditions Junaid has better tools than Amir to succeed. he is a better exponent of reverse than amir. Outside Asia id take Amir

 

[Ahson8]

Junaid at his peak (2012-13) was fat better in Asian conditions than Amir is now

 

[Kohli The King of Chase]

These stats should be shown to Mickey, and ask him to play Junaid in Asia, and Amir outside Asia.

 

[another drop catch]

These stats should be shown to Mickey, and ask him to play Junaid in Asia, and Amir outside Asia.

for u.a.e.

junaid khan
rahat ali
imran khan
wahab

outside asia

aamir
hassan ali
abbas
sohail khan

 

[Titan24]

Yes and in such way work load can also be managed well.

 

[Buffet]

These stats should be shown to Mickey, and ask him to play Junaid in Asia, and Amir outside Asia.

Are you sure about it? Outside Asia covers many venues.

 

[Kohli The King of Chase]

Are you sure about it? Outside Asia covers many venues.

Yes it does,but anyhow u don't play that many tests.

 

[ExplicitAI]

Junaid was never a bad bowler, he would've got some success today in this Test.

 

[asfandyar]

Neither. Time to try new dibbly dobbly line-length bowlers in Tests in the mould of Asif / McGrath. One of Mir Hamza, Sadaf Hussain, Imran Khan J, and one of Hammad Azam, Amir Yamin, Fahim Ashraf needs to be inducted.

 

[Ellipsism]

Neither. Time to try new dibbly dobbly line-length bowlers in Tests in the mould of Asif / McGrath. One of Mir Hamza, Sadaf Hussain, Imran Khan J, and one of Hammad Azam, Amir Yamin, Fahim Ashraf needs to be inducted.

Imran Khan Jr was exposed in Australia for his lack of pace and bounce, considering that I doubt he'll ever play a test for Pakistan again.

You tell me whether Sadaf is test quality

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KjCPjxeR6e8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[asfandyar]

Imran Khan Jr was exposed in Australia for his lack of pace and bounce, considering that I doubt he'll ever play a test for Pakistan again.

You tell me whether Sadaf is test quality

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KjCPjxeR6e8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I won't know for sure unless I play him or watch him in an international match. He has racked up numbers, deserves 10-15 consecutive matches in different conditions even if he bowls using his legs at 20kph

 

[maxamax]

Would like to compare post injury Junaid with Amir. The previous Junaid was making Kohli look like an idiot, we shouldn't count that.

Imran Khan Jr was exposed in Australia for his lack of pace and bounce, considering that I doubt he'll ever play a test for Pakistan again.

You tell me whether Sadaf is test quality

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KjCPjxeR6e8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Can you judge M.Asif from his few balls?

 

[kingusama92]

I believe Junaid averaged 40+ with the ball in FC cricket last season.

Amir averaged 14.87 when he played in 2015.

 

[Kohli The King of Chase]

Wow Amir's figures are going down like there is no tomorrow.

If he doesn't perform against England in early summer against an unsettled line up, then when will he?

 

[Abid Z]

I think much depends on who the bowling partner is. Aamir played alongside asif in seaming conditions and this bowling partnership really helped the team and aamirs stats. When amir has had wahab and rahat he’s found it much harder to take wickets. Junaid has bowled on absolute dust bowls with tanvir and aizaz cheema as well as a declining gul. They’ve both had a good spinner in the attack also but I think until junaid was injured he was a whole hearted performer. Unless I can see amir bring the ball back into a rhb I’d say they are both on par currently but in this attack a fit junaid might have the upper hand

 

[Kohli The King of Chase]

Junaid has done better than others in UAE.

Amir is already dropped, Wahab should be dropped and Junaid brought in for UAE