Varun Aaron on Glasgow Cosmic's ETPL Vision: Beyond Winning to Building a Legacy

'It's about making an imprint,' says Varun Aaron on Glasgow Cosmic's ambitions in ETPL

New Delhi, July 27

But as Glasgow Cosmic kickstart preparations for their inaugural campaign in the European T20 Premier League (ETPL), starting on August 26, their bowling coach Varun Aaron insists the franchise is playing a much longer game, which is to leave an imprint of the sport in Glasgow and Europe overall.

"I think when you join any team, they have a strong belief system that they're going to impact the local ecosystem and contribute to making the local ecosystem better and also helping the talent within that region shine. That is obviously something which I love to associate with. I would say on any level, like right from when I was a kid, I've always been brought up with those kinds of things.

"I mean, there's one thing just taking your superstars and doing well and then there's another layer when you take somebody who's unknown or somebody who's not yet made it but you see something in that sense and get the best out of them.

"I think Glasgow Cosmic totally buys into those ethos because even before the first game can kick off, we're actually going about 10 days before just to work with the local community in Glasgow, touch basing with a few of the academies there and just making an imprint of this new franchise because it's the first time, right?

"It's happening in Europe and people are really excited throughout Scotland, Ireland, Netherlands and I think we've got our head in the right place when it comes to not just obviously winning the league but also making sure that there's growth within the ecosystem," Aaron told IANS in an exclusive conversation.

On the field, Glasgow's success relies on reading the pitch and conditions accurately. With tons of firepower in the batting lineup led by Finn Allen, Glasgow have also assembled bowlers like Ali Khan, Brad Currie, Duan Jansen, Lungi Ngidi, Paul van Meekeren and Keshav Maharaj. If needed, part-timers like Liam Livingstone, Kamindu Mendis and Gerhard Erasmus can also roll their arm over.

"The game has moved to a place where I think the biggest dictator of how you form your tactics boils down to the conditions. So, we've got some really good bowlers. We've got Keshav Maharaj, we've got Livi (Liam Livingstone). I mean, just to leave the fast bowlers aside, we've got some really good spinners as well.

"Like Liam Livingstone, after he went back from IPL, he picked up a fifer in the county championship. So, he's bowling really well. He can bowl leg-spin and he can bowl off-spin. We've got Maharaj, obviously, one of the best left-arm spinners in the world. So, we've got a great mix of everything. But when we talk about tactics, I think the conditions are more or less going to dictate how we deploy our resources," added Aaron, who played nine Tests and as many ODIs for India.

The ETPL arrives at a time when European associate nations are enjoying unprecedented momentum on the international circuit. Pointing to Ireland's recent series win over India alongside World Cup performances from Scotland and the Netherlands, Aaron believes the high calibre of personnel involved gives the tournament instant credibility.

"I think the league is coming at the right time because if you see, it's actually quite easy - all three countries are doing really well. Ireland just beat India in a (T20I) series. It wasn't a one-off win. It was a two-game series and Ireland beat India. Scotland and Netherlands both played the World Cup and there were some really good noteworthy performances by their players.

"I wouldn't say most important, but the third and very important part is the people who are associated with the league are of extremely high calibre. Not just when you see them - it's not just their playing careers, but what they've done off the field and how they've carried themselves off the field.

"So, immediately there's a very high sense of legitimacy to the league. That's why I feel even whoever will get associated with the league, when I talk about the sponsors and TV and broadcasters, etc, they all know that we're very serious about this league and we want it to be one of the best in the world."

A major highlight of Aaron's time with Glasgow Cosmic will also be his reunion with Australian legend Matthew Hayden, the franchise's co-owner and head coach. "Oh, I love working with Haydos. We worked on multiple commentary assignments. We worked in Australia together and in the IPL. So Haydos is obviously a legend of the game, but I think he's quite a legend of a human as well.

"He's an unbelievable guy. You can just have so much fun with him and then when it's cricket, it's serious cricket. But when cricket is done, we have a lot of passion. We love cooking, we love fishing. So Haydos and me, we love the smaller things in life but also love the game a lot. So we get along really well and it's going to be really exciting to build a team with him and hopefully win the ETPL.

"I would love to join hands with Matthew Hayden for as far as we can and actually do something which is sustainable for Scotland, which improves cricket in Glasgow so that they can actually be a full member ICC team.

"The whole point if I'm going so far, I mean going to the other part of the world and working is number one priority is to win the league. There's no two ways about that. But also while winning the league, there are so many things we can do and I hope as a franchise, I can impact a few lives while I'm there," he concluded.

— IANS