More to me than just pace: Varun Aaron

NEW DELHI, MAY 19: Raw pace and extreme power is what Varun Aaron is associated with, yet the young right-arm fast bowler insists there is more to him than just speed. “I like to bowl fast, but along with pace, you need to have a good line and length and some variation as well. I don’t think about just pace when I’m bowling. Pace comes naturally to me. But you also have to keep in mind the batsman’s strengths and weaknesses while bowling,” he said. 

“International batsmen these days are very used to playing pace. If you bowl fast but in the wrong areas, it’s very easy for them to play you. So I don’t just want to concentrate on pace alone, I want to concentrate on everything to bowl well on the whole,” he said.

In what has been a disappointing season, the promising Aaron has been one of the positives for the Delhi Daredevils. In his IPL debut, in the home game against Kings XI Punjab, he picked up the crucial wicket of Adam Gilchrist as Delhi restricted Punjab’s chase to win by 29 runs. His best performance so far though, came in his next match against Chennai Super Kings – 1/20, including a dropped catch, in a match where the opposition plundered 109 runs off the final 10 overs was an astounding effort for a newcomer.

“It’s been a good experience. We have a good bowling coach in Eric Simmons and a good attack, including Morne (Morkel), Irfan (Pathan) and Ajit (Agarkar),” said the Jamshedpur-born speedster, looking back at his first season with Delhi.

“I’ve learnt a lot, about handling pressure situations and bowling to good batsmen at a good level. I’ve also learnt a lot about my own bowling, like what my strengths and weaknesses are. On the whole, it’s been a very good learning experience and I’m sure this will take me forward as well.”

So how soon does he think he can make it to the Indian team? “That’s not a question for me to answer, that’s up to the selectors! My job is just to bowl well and perform well whenever I get the chance. And then if I get to play for the Indian team, of course that would be great.”

Meanwhile, the 21-year-old is concentrating on domestic cricket, with Jharkhand and the Delhi Daredevils, while continuing his work at the MRF Pace Academy in Chennai.  As for the speed, which he is known for, Aaron says he has made a few changes to his bowling action, to ensure he can keep it up for as long as possible.

“I had made some changes to my action at the beginning (of my career), when I was at the MRF Pace Academy. But I’ve got a more-or-less decent action now. I just keep monitoring it and try to make sure that nothing goes wrong.”