Abdullah719
T20I Captain
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2013
- Runs
- 44,825
Have a read of this interesting Q&A session with the charismatic [MENTION=134981]Bhaag Viru Bhaag[/MENTION]!
PakPassion.net: A bit about your educational and professional background?
Bhaag Viru Bhaag: I have a degree in Computer Applications. I have been using computers since 2000 and made this my career.
PakPassion.net: Why PP and what makes you come back to this site everyday?
Bhaag Viru Bhaag: I first found PakPassion in 2005 from another popular UK based cricket forum. I joined PP in August 2013; before that I was just a lurker and used to read discussions particularly about India or Pakistan matches. What makes me come back to PP every day is the quality of discussion, interacting with members from different countries, interesting topics, things to learn from other members and keeping myself updated with the cricket news.
PakPassion.net: What do you think of India's squad for the Asia Cup?
Bhaag Viru Bhaag: Without Kohli the squad looks weak to me. But since the tournament will be played in the UAE I expect guys like Dhawan and Rohit to score some hundreds on those pitches. Matches against Pakistan will be their true test though because:
a.) We are playing against them for the first time after losing CT final so they have an upper hand at least till September 19th.
b.) Pakistan have some of the best bowlers in their lineup.
c.) Indian middle order is weak, inconsistent and have unreliable players.
Don’t want to be overconfident and disrespected towards other teams but I am looking at Asia Cup as a 3 match series between India and Pakistan. Hopefully both teams won’t disappoint and will reach the final.
PakPassion.net: What do you think of India's chances at World Cup 2019?
Bhaag Viru Bhaag: I am expecting India to reach the semifinal at least. After that it all depends on who plays best under pressure. I know Indian bowlers have a history of choking in the knockouts/finals of big tournaments like we did against West Indies in the T20 World Cup and against Pakistan in the CT final recently. So this is a serious concern as well as Indian middle and lower order also isn’t that good.
PakPassion.net: Why do you dislike the IPL?
Bhaag Viru Bhaag: Yes, I strongly dislike the IPL. I want my Indian team to be full strength whenever they play against tougher oppositions like we are doing currently against England. I don’t want half fit and exhausted players because of IPL.
I will give you an example from the current series; we had some unfit players who missed the first two Tests due to getting injured in IPL. Kohli too got injured just before his county stint. This stuff happens every year. Indian players are going to play in the IPL next year too just before the World Cup. What if Kohli/Bumrah gets injured just before the World Cup?
I see some die hard IPL fans cussing IPL too when India plays badly or when we miss key players because of getting injured in IPL. The difference is I criticise IPL consistently and they only do it when India plays bad cricket.
PakPassion.net: What changes do India need to make if they have to start winning big series overseas?
Bhaag Viru Bhaag: If you had asked this question in 2016 I would have said that we need wicket taking bowlers. Bowlers who can take 20 wickets. We would have won lot more matches away from home had we got good bowlers in the last decade. But after looking at the batting performances in this England series I think in order to win series in SENA we now need at least 2 more batsman who can support Kohli. Also the support staff has to be changed. I am sure BCCI has enough money to hire professional coaches. I am not a fan of desi coaches. Always preferred someone like John Wright or Gary Kirsten. These guys always remained in the background that is why there were no controversies during their tenure.
PakPassion.net: What is you view on the Chappell-Ganguly saga?
Bhaag Viru Bhaag: This was the worst time to be an Indian fan after that match fixing saga in 2000. Indian fans after the appointment of Greg Chappell got a new hope. Everyone thought we had the team to win the 2007 world cup. But that era was full of controversies, ego clashes, too many experiments. I can never forgive Chappell for what he did to Irfan Pathan, Saurav Ganguly and to India’s chances in the World Cup.
PakPassion.net: Pakistani bowlers vs Indian bowlers
Bhaag Viru Bhaag: That’s a tough one. Few months ago I would have chosen Pakistani bowlers without thinking much but Indian bowling has improved a lot in recent times. So I am a little bit confused. Pakistan has a variety in their bowling attack with a mixture of left and right arm bowlers. Hassan, Amir, Shinwari are pretty good bowlers. Add to that you have young and tall Shaheen (I have high hopes from him). All this shifts me slightly towards choosing Pakistani bowlers but India have good spinners in Kuldeep, Chahal and have recently selected Khaleel Ahmed (left arm quick) so that adds some variety to indian bowling attack as well.
Overall I will still choose Pakistani bowlers because all of them have the ability to run through batting lineups which Indian bowlers lack. We need to learn how to finish off the tail. Pakistan’s strength is their bowling. Indian bowlers can perform as a team but when one of them goes for runs in an important match like final they all start to lose confidence and leak runs.
PakPassion.net: What are your views on the current Pakistan Test team?
Bhaag Viru Bhaag: After the retirement of Younis and Misbah I thought Pakistan will struggle and take at least 3-4 years to rebuild but I was surprised to see their performance in England in 2018. Even though Pakistan lost against Sri Lanka in UAE I still think they will once again make it their fortress. Pakistan losing to Sri Lanka in subcontinental conditions is just like Australia losing to South Africa in their conditions. It is not the end of the world.
Regarding players who can take Pakistan forward, I think Zaman’s inclusion will make Pakistan’s test team stronger. He has it in him to play long innings. Also Babar Azam is a good find. I would also like to see someone like Fawad Alam get a chance in the middle.
PakPassion.net: Do you think Pakistan's victory in the CT was a fluke?
Bhaag Viru Bhaag: Absolutely not. If anyone is calling Pakistan’s CT win a fluke then it will also put a question mark over other teams who won CT/World Cup before Pakistan did in 2017. Pakistan deserved to win CT 2017.
PakPassion.net: Who is your favourite Pakistani cricketer and why?
Bhaag Viru Bhaag: My first favorite Pakistani cricketer was Waqar Younis. I just used to love his bowling run up and his style. I used to copy his bowling style while playing. Then came Shoaib Akhtar and I became his fan too. We had small grounds here in our society, boundary was shorter still I used to copy his bowling style by running in from outside the boundary. List of Pakistani players I like:
Wasim Akram
Imran Khan
Waqar Younis
Saeed Anwar
Saqlain Mushtaq
Shoaib Akhtar
Misbah-ul-Haq
Shahid Afridi
Younis Khan
Hasan Ali
Intikhab Alam
PakPassion.net: Sachin Tendulkar vs Virat Kohli.
Bhaag Viru Bhaag: Pretty easy for me. Sachin Tendulkar. I may be biased towards Sachin because I have seen him from the start and have so many memories attached with him. I don’t think I need to give any reason why I prefer Sachin over Kohli.
PakPassion.net: What are your interests apart from cricket?
Bhaag Viru Bhaag: Football, surfing the internet, spending time on PakPassion.
PakPassion.net: Congress vs BJP?
Bhaag Viru Bhaag: Don’t like either of them.
PakPassion.net: What do you think of Imran Khan's government as an Indian?
Bhaag Viru Bhaag: Have been the big fan of Imran the cricketer and also the politician. I was happy when Imran became the PM. I think it has given a very good opportunity for India and Pakistan to take steps towards peace.
PakPassion.net: Would you be as vocal as you are if your identity wasn't concealed?
Bhaag Viru Bhaag: This platform gives you a chance to express yourself and post your opinions. I am just speaking my mind. Will I get killed for disliking IPL if I reveal my identity? Don’t think so.
I would like to thank PakPassion staff members for giving this chance to me. I would also like to thank those who asked these questions and wanted to know more about me. I thoroughly enjoyed writing the answers. Thanks guys.
PakPassion.net: A bit about your educational and professional background?
Bhaag Viru Bhaag: I have a degree in Computer Applications. I have been using computers since 2000 and made this my career.
PakPassion.net: Why PP and what makes you come back to this site everyday?
Bhaag Viru Bhaag: I first found PakPassion in 2005 from another popular UK based cricket forum. I joined PP in August 2013; before that I was just a lurker and used to read discussions particularly about India or Pakistan matches. What makes me come back to PP every day is the quality of discussion, interacting with members from different countries, interesting topics, things to learn from other members and keeping myself updated with the cricket news.
PakPassion.net: What do you think of India's squad for the Asia Cup?
Bhaag Viru Bhaag: Without Kohli the squad looks weak to me. But since the tournament will be played in the UAE I expect guys like Dhawan and Rohit to score some hundreds on those pitches. Matches against Pakistan will be their true test though because:
a.) We are playing against them for the first time after losing CT final so they have an upper hand at least till September 19th.
b.) Pakistan have some of the best bowlers in their lineup.
c.) Indian middle order is weak, inconsistent and have unreliable players.
Don’t want to be overconfident and disrespected towards other teams but I am looking at Asia Cup as a 3 match series between India and Pakistan. Hopefully both teams won’t disappoint and will reach the final.
PakPassion.net: What do you think of India's chances at World Cup 2019?
Bhaag Viru Bhaag: I am expecting India to reach the semifinal at least. After that it all depends on who plays best under pressure. I know Indian bowlers have a history of choking in the knockouts/finals of big tournaments like we did against West Indies in the T20 World Cup and against Pakistan in the CT final recently. So this is a serious concern as well as Indian middle and lower order also isn’t that good.
PakPassion.net: Why do you dislike the IPL?
Bhaag Viru Bhaag: Yes, I strongly dislike the IPL. I want my Indian team to be full strength whenever they play against tougher oppositions like we are doing currently against England. I don’t want half fit and exhausted players because of IPL.
I will give you an example from the current series; we had some unfit players who missed the first two Tests due to getting injured in IPL. Kohli too got injured just before his county stint. This stuff happens every year. Indian players are going to play in the IPL next year too just before the World Cup. What if Kohli/Bumrah gets injured just before the World Cup?
I see some die hard IPL fans cussing IPL too when India plays badly or when we miss key players because of getting injured in IPL. The difference is I criticise IPL consistently and they only do it when India plays bad cricket.
PakPassion.net: What changes do India need to make if they have to start winning big series overseas?
Bhaag Viru Bhaag: If you had asked this question in 2016 I would have said that we need wicket taking bowlers. Bowlers who can take 20 wickets. We would have won lot more matches away from home had we got good bowlers in the last decade. But after looking at the batting performances in this England series I think in order to win series in SENA we now need at least 2 more batsman who can support Kohli. Also the support staff has to be changed. I am sure BCCI has enough money to hire professional coaches. I am not a fan of desi coaches. Always preferred someone like John Wright or Gary Kirsten. These guys always remained in the background that is why there were no controversies during their tenure.
PakPassion.net: What is you view on the Chappell-Ganguly saga?
Bhaag Viru Bhaag: This was the worst time to be an Indian fan after that match fixing saga in 2000. Indian fans after the appointment of Greg Chappell got a new hope. Everyone thought we had the team to win the 2007 world cup. But that era was full of controversies, ego clashes, too many experiments. I can never forgive Chappell for what he did to Irfan Pathan, Saurav Ganguly and to India’s chances in the World Cup.
PakPassion.net: Pakistani bowlers vs Indian bowlers
Bhaag Viru Bhaag: That’s a tough one. Few months ago I would have chosen Pakistani bowlers without thinking much but Indian bowling has improved a lot in recent times. So I am a little bit confused. Pakistan has a variety in their bowling attack with a mixture of left and right arm bowlers. Hassan, Amir, Shinwari are pretty good bowlers. Add to that you have young and tall Shaheen (I have high hopes from him). All this shifts me slightly towards choosing Pakistani bowlers but India have good spinners in Kuldeep, Chahal and have recently selected Khaleel Ahmed (left arm quick) so that adds some variety to indian bowling attack as well.
Overall I will still choose Pakistani bowlers because all of them have the ability to run through batting lineups which Indian bowlers lack. We need to learn how to finish off the tail. Pakistan’s strength is their bowling. Indian bowlers can perform as a team but when one of them goes for runs in an important match like final they all start to lose confidence and leak runs.
PakPassion.net: What are your views on the current Pakistan Test team?
Bhaag Viru Bhaag: After the retirement of Younis and Misbah I thought Pakistan will struggle and take at least 3-4 years to rebuild but I was surprised to see their performance in England in 2018. Even though Pakistan lost against Sri Lanka in UAE I still think they will once again make it their fortress. Pakistan losing to Sri Lanka in subcontinental conditions is just like Australia losing to South Africa in their conditions. It is not the end of the world.
Regarding players who can take Pakistan forward, I think Zaman’s inclusion will make Pakistan’s test team stronger. He has it in him to play long innings. Also Babar Azam is a good find. I would also like to see someone like Fawad Alam get a chance in the middle.
PakPassion.net: Do you think Pakistan's victory in the CT was a fluke?
Bhaag Viru Bhaag: Absolutely not. If anyone is calling Pakistan’s CT win a fluke then it will also put a question mark over other teams who won CT/World Cup before Pakistan did in 2017. Pakistan deserved to win CT 2017.
PakPassion.net: Who is your favourite Pakistani cricketer and why?
Bhaag Viru Bhaag: My first favorite Pakistani cricketer was Waqar Younis. I just used to love his bowling run up and his style. I used to copy his bowling style while playing. Then came Shoaib Akhtar and I became his fan too. We had small grounds here in our society, boundary was shorter still I used to copy his bowling style by running in from outside the boundary. List of Pakistani players I like:
Wasim Akram
Imran Khan
Waqar Younis
Saeed Anwar
Saqlain Mushtaq
Shoaib Akhtar
Misbah-ul-Haq
Shahid Afridi
Younis Khan
Hasan Ali
Intikhab Alam

PakPassion.net: Sachin Tendulkar vs Virat Kohli.
Bhaag Viru Bhaag: Pretty easy for me. Sachin Tendulkar. I may be biased towards Sachin because I have seen him from the start and have so many memories attached with him. I don’t think I need to give any reason why I prefer Sachin over Kohli.
PakPassion.net: What are your interests apart from cricket?
Bhaag Viru Bhaag: Football, surfing the internet, spending time on PakPassion.
PakPassion.net: Congress vs BJP?
Bhaag Viru Bhaag: Don’t like either of them.
PakPassion.net: What do you think of Imran Khan's government as an Indian?
Bhaag Viru Bhaag: Have been the big fan of Imran the cricketer and also the politician. I was happy when Imran became the PM. I think it has given a very good opportunity for India and Pakistan to take steps towards peace.
PakPassion.net: Would you be as vocal as you are if your identity wasn't concealed?
Bhaag Viru Bhaag: This platform gives you a chance to express yourself and post your opinions. I am just speaking my mind. Will I get killed for disliking IPL if I reveal my identity? Don’t think so.

I would like to thank PakPassion staff members for giving this chance to me. I would also like to thank those who asked these questions and wanted to know more about me. I thoroughly enjoyed writing the answers. Thanks guys.