Exclusive- Varun Aaron On Associate Bowlers In IPL, Becoming Indian Fast Bowling Coach

Varun Aaron Exclusive Interview with CREX. Image Credits: CREXFormer Indian fast bowler Varun Aaron has taken a new and exciting path after retiring from active cricket in January 2025. Known for his raw pace, the ace pacer made a name for himself with some memorable performances for India and in domestic cricket. After ending his playing career, he has now moved into coaching and broadcasting. In an exclusive interview with CREX, Varun Aaron spoke about his ongoing journey as the bowling coach of Glasgow Cosmic in Season 1 of the ETPL, his coaching experience, and his transition from being a fast bowler to guiding the next generation.Question: How was your experience as the bowling coach of Glasgow Cosmic in Season 1 of the ETPL?Answer: It's been a great experience because coaching in the IPL is one thing, and coaching at the ETPL is obviously so different because the conditions in the IPL are so batting-friendly.You have something for the bowlers, which is really exciting for a bowling coach. We've had some brilliant bowlers in our team. We had Paul van Meekeren, and I'm talking about the associate bowlers; we've got Reuben Wilson.Obviously, Ireland is not an associate nation, but still, it's developing as a cricketing nation. We had Oliver Davidson, a left-arm spinner who is so good with the ball and has a very bright future.Then we had Liam Naylor, and we have got such exciting youngsters coming through. As a bowling coach, it's been a dream to work with young, upcoming talent who really want to make a mark in world cricket.Question: How was your experience working with a veteran like Matthew Hayden?Answer: Obviously, I've worked with Haydos (Matthew Hayden) in broadcasting quite a bit. I've never really worked in a team environment, but we've always had a good relationship since we met. I think that has translated into the Glasgow Cosmic.Working with him, obviously, you learn so much about the game. You learn from all the experiences he had. He is not just a great batsman, but also a really good human being. There are so many things to learn, not just from a cricketing perspective, but also from life’s perspective.It's been invaluable the last month. Even though our team has not done it the way we wanted, and everything hasn't gone as planned because we've had so many injuries and pull-outs. For example, Lungi and Keshav Maharaj had to go back to South Africa.He's remained even-keeled throughout the tournament, and he's kept a really good vibe. The team is not doing really well. That's when it's the head coach's responsibility to keep it together, and he's done that well.Also Read: Exclusive: Glasgow Cosmic's Matthew Mott On Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ben Stokes Retirement And England CrisisQuestion: What was it working with players like Lungi Ngidi, Ali Khan, and Tymal Mills in ETPL?Answer: It's been brilliant. They're very talented bowlers, especially when you mention somebody like Ali Khan. He should be playing more franchise cricket.People should be looking at bowlers from the United States, the Netherlands, and Scotland. For example, Ali Khan and Oliver Davidson are two bowlers who should be playing more franchise cricket. At the end of the day, I would love to see bowlers from this league play in the IPL or from our team play in the IPL.Question: Jasprit Bumrah has been India's lone warrior in all formats! Who do you think are the 5 bowlers who can be as lethal?Answer: That's going to be really tough because cricket is a game of uncertainty. Sometimes, you think one bowler or one batter can only play one format, and then they surprise you.For example, with Virender Sehwag, nobody really, at the beginning, thought he was going to be a Test batsman. But he turned out to be one of India's most prolific Test batsmen. So, it would be really unfair to label five guys into that bracket.Also Read: Exclusive: Glasgow Cosmic's Tymal Mills On Playing With Kohli-Rohit, Why Bumrah Is Best, ETPL ExperienceI think most of the Indian fast bowlers can play all three formats. And as a bowler, you should be able to play all three formats. There's no reason you should stick to only one format.Because if you can play Test cricket, you can seamlessly shape-shift into any format. And if you look, even the top T20 cricketers, when we talk about stats, the batters and the bowlers, they are all actually really good Test cricketers. So, I would say you have a lot of bowlers, and everybody in the Indian setup at the moment can play all three formats.Question: If given a chance, would you like to become India's fast bowling coach?Answer: I mean, see, look, it's all up in the air. That's something which I am not really thinking about. But obviously, if the job is offered to me, I will definitely give it a thought.This or that segment:Answer 7: Shoaib Akhtar or Glenn McGrath- Shoaib AkhtarShoaib Akhtar or Wasim Akram- Wasim AkramWasim Akram or James Anderson- Wasim AkramWasim Akram or Brett Lee- Wasim AkramWasim Akram or Waqar Younis- Wasim AkramWasim Akram or Dale Steyn- Wasim AkramWasim Akram or Jasprit Bumrah- Both (50/50)Watch The Video Below: Also Read: Exclusive- Glasgow Cosmic's Captain George Munsey On Favourite IPL Team, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Best T20 Batter