Underhand spear units underperforming (might be related to attack animations)

EB version 2.01, CAI 3.0a and trait hotfix installed.

I've noticed that units with underhand spears have a considerably lower attack than units with overhand spears and sword units. Spearmen in Broken Crescent also have similar stats, since the mod removes their useless attack animations (spear punching, shield bash). However, underhand spear units in EB 2.01 still have the punching and shield bash animations, making them severely underperform in battle. For example, Khamis (Sabean Royal Infantry) lose in melee against Hoplitai Haploi or Celtic Spearmen (admittedly the 2v2 custom battle tests I ran are not entirely reliable since the AI kept disengaging its general's unit and charging it back into melee- but that should have made it easier, not harder).

Are underhand spears supposed to keep their spear punching animations? Or is it merely a problem with my installation?

The choice of underhand, rather than overhand was a conscious one. Levies and other untrained units use their spears underhand in EBII, professional soldiers use them overhand.