Cover Drive
Senior ODI Player
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2009
- Runs
- 23,230
PP: Why the username "Random Aussie" - was it chosen out of boredom or is there certain significance behind this name?
RA: It is descriptive not significant. In the context of PakPassion it essentially describes me.
PP: What brought you to PakPassion? And what makes you return? Also what’s the best thing being a PP member?
RA: I was looking for a good cricket forum for quite a while, the others I found were nowhere near the quality or popularity of PakPassion. Most cricket forums do not have enough active members to make posting worthwhile as they are not current. The number of active members on Pakpassion means the discussions are constantly changing from one day to the next, and even one hour to the next. The best thing about being a member is just to be able to engage in discussions with people from all over the world about a common subject. It really does bring people together in the sense of a shared love of cricket.
PP: After spending more than 2 years here on PP, what have you learned to like most and dislike most about PakPassion? Why have you lasted as long as you have here in PP?
RA: Best thing about Pakpassion is the quality and quantity of information in the threads. If something happens in cricket it is always covered here either by thread or article. I do feel a bit proud of the team in the way this site has become quite prominent in terms of interviews with cricketers and I enjoy contributing to that with my posts.
I don't really dislike anything about the site, otherwise I would not be visiting. Try hard keyboard warriors in TimePass annoy me - it is so cowardly to sit on an anonymous forum and post drivel about wars and real events that are occurring. If you feel so strongly about it go do something about it. Posting on the net is just play fighting and I have little respect for that.
PP: How did you make it to PP originally? Are you active on other forums as well, if so, how many?
RA: Just by Google search. I don't really post on any other forums.
PP: What do you believe are the best and worst things about Pakistan cricket?
RA: The best thing is the raw talent Pakistan can produce, just sheer match winning cricketers (especially bowlers) who can do amazing things that players from other countries just cannot do. You just can produce special players.
The worst thing is the player culture and attitude, the constant infighting both by cricketers and the goons at the PCB. Pakistan cricket is still stuck in the 80's in terms of professionalism while every other country has moved on. I would bet Zimbabwe has a better functioning cricket administration than Pakistan.
PP: Who do you feel has been Australia's best captain? Also best captain who never captained?
RA: Mark Taylor is the best captain of Australia I have seen. I never really saw Ian Chappell captain although he was reported to be very good.
Shane Warne.
PP: Do you think Australia can produce a Don Bradman ever again?
RA: Hmmm it is possible. I think Bradman was one of a kind though. I don't know if any other sport has one player who is so far ahead of every other player in history. People can argue all sorts of things to try and discredit that average but nobody else in his generation averaged 100 did they? Or even anywhere near it. The average of 60 is almost the utter high water mark in terms of cricket batting and Bradman is miles above that.
But I would say that every other country has about as much chance of producing a Bradman as we do.
PP: Any upcoming Australian cricketer who you feel will be a star tomorrow?
RA: Mitchell Marsh. Josh Hazelwood. Usman Khawaja.
PP: What are your earliest experiences of following/watching international cricket?
RA: Kim Hughes resigning in tears and my mum telling me he was a sook. Going to the MCG Test when Greg Chappell, Lillee and Marsh retired (I think).
PP: What are your most memorable cricketing memories?
RA: Personally, hitting the winning runs to win the State championship for my school.
Watching Wasim Akram live at the MCG during the 1992 World Cup - wow he was fast, you could hear the crowd gasp as he bowled. Also watching on TV on a country holiday when Pakistan played Sri Lanka when Wasim hit the Sri Lankan opener in the groin with consecutive deliveries.
Sehwag hitting that hundred against us at the MCG in 2004. Shane Warne's last Test at the MCG.
Shane Warne bowling to Chris Read at the MCG in that Test, Read was so clueless a guy in the crowd yelled out "Hey Chris he's bowling leg spin!"
PP: Why have Geelong been so good over the last half decade?
RA: Always had a talented side that underachieved, they made a decision after a bad year to do 2 things (both of which are applicable to cricket actually):
1) Play players in their natural positions and don't try to make them something they are not.
2) Play the game the way they want to play, not play it the way everyone else plays it.
PP: What would be your all time Aussie X1 from players you have seen?
RA:
Matthew Hayden
Michael Slater
Ricky Ponting
Greg Chappell
Steve Waugh
Allan Border
Adam Gilchrist
Shane Warne
Dennis Lillee
Jason Gillespie
Glenn McGrath
PP: Apart from cricket what other sports do you like to watch?
RA: Australian Rules Football, a bit of professional wrestling. That's about it but I will watch anything if it is on where I am. I don't watch television at home though.
PP: Australia have flopped in last Two T20 WCs do you think they will fare any better in this one?
RA: Probably not. We have not picked our 2 best in form bowlers and Michael Clarke is captain. Should be a bit better than last time when we picked an ODI side but it still will not be the best eleven T20 players in Australia playing.
PP: Do you think Damien Martyn is the most elegant bat Australia ever created?
RA: No, Greg Chappell. As an aside, Matthew Elliot was a gorgeous player to watch but he did not have the mental strength to suceed at Test cricket.
PP: You definitely talk a good game. Do you or have you played league cricket in Australia? If yes, what format do they play under, and I have heard that the games are spread over 2 weekends. Is it true?
RA: Yes I played a bit as a junior and then for my high school in the firsts. League cricket is over 2 weekends, one day per weekend, unlimited overs, one innings each.
PP: How has Australian domestic cricket become so competitive and successful?
RA: There are only 6 teams and only 12 first class games plus the final. The players need to perform under pressure, no second chances and we do not accept non competitive performances. You should see the media here go ballistic when the cricket team does not perform as expected. It is not like county cricket where there are a million matches and if you don't perform well there is always the next game.
PP: How should Pakistan improve their domestic competitions ?
RA: I don't think domestic cricket is the problem. The problem is the PCB and dishonest selections. If you think that the Pakistan XI in any given game is the best eleven players in Pakistan I have some land to sell you....
PP: Do Aussies even care when Pakistan visits them? We have been pwned for a decade now.
RA: Not really. We are usually interested in seeing the bowlers bowl though.
PP: Why is Dennis Lillee not that good?
RA: He was that good. Don't really care if people think otherwise.
PP: What is your opinion about the current form of Ricky Ponting? Is it time for him to give up the game? If he continues for a while will he ever be able to overtake Tendulkar's test runs?
RA: He will have a good run again for a while but his best is past. The mental effort of captaining (and he is not a natural or good captain anyway) and batting at number 3 wears him down. I would like to see him sit at number 6, the opposition would hate that quality of player coming in at number 6.
I think he will leave after 2011 World Cup and our fourth consecutive trophy.
Will not overtake Tendulkar.
PP: Do you like Harbjahan Singh?
RA: Great character and a fighter. I don't really like him but the effect of what does means I am not supposed to like him.
I do wish he would bowl with more aggression, he darts it in way too much. Much more dangerous when he flights the ball.
PP: Are you a fan of Sreesanth?
RA: I think he is a talented bowler, perhaps the most talented India have unearthed for some time. He has fantastic seam position and bowls genuine wicket taking line and length. His weakness is all mental. By contrast Ishant has talent but bowls the wrong length to consistently take wickets (a little like Peter Siddle actually).
PP: Which team is most threatening to Australia in the upcoming world cups (T20 & ODI)?
RA: All of them in T20 ha. In the World Cup no team really. Every team can win on it's day but overall I would back the Australian team against any other team in a pressure situation. Unless we run into NZ with Bond playing in which case we will probably lose as he owns us.
PP: Which Pakistani cricketer do you think has the potential to become one of the game's greatest players? E.g Gilchrist, Ponting and Warne from Australia.
RA: Mohammed Aamer.
PP: Aussies seems to play all sports very hard - is this just a natural instinct or are you taught at a young age to play aggressively?
RA: Not sure, it is the way we play sport from the start. I suspect it is conditioning rather than instinct. Every time sport is played here even in the backyard it is competitive, nobody likes to lose.
PP: Are you yourself a cricketer? If so any good tips on batting or bowling?
RA: I was a cricketer, opening bat and pace bowler. I still dominate backyard and beach cricket to the extent I get asked to hit catches or bowl at half pace.
For batting, play as late as possible and make sure your weight moves with you and is channelled through the shot. And if you are not good at a shot, don't play it.
For bowling, just practice line and length. You need to be able to bowl 99 out of 100 balls in the same 5x5cm square. If you can do that you will be a success. If you can't then it is up to luck.
PP: Does posting on PakPassion impact your personal and professional life?
RA: No. I read very fast ie a 500 page book in 2 hours. I have the site open when I am surfing the web and at work but I don't spend that much time actively looking at threads or posting.
PP: Your current and past favourite Pakistani player(s)?
RA: Past player - Wasim Akram.
Current player - Aamer.
For amusement I like to watch Imran Farhat, you can almost hear the clock ticking in his head counting down to a mad swipe at the ball.
PP: Do you personally feel Shane Warne could have made an excellent skipper for Australia?
RA: Oh yeah he would have been great. But even he was made captain he would not have been able to stay out of trouble so was never going to happen.
PP: Who would win in a battle between: 1. Pirates vs ninjas? 2. Shark vs octopus? 3. Windies of the 80s vs Aussies of the 00s
RA: Ninjas, shark and the Windies would have smashed us.
PP: Besides cricket & baiting Indians on PP, what is your other favorite hobby/ activity?
RA: Playing music and hanging out in bars.
PP: Is your dislike for India just for cricketing reasons or is there other reasons as well?
RA: Just cricket because their fans are such whingers (in general that is there are some awesome Indian fans too). Of late it does extend to the thousands of male Indian students who think they are so gangsta and hang out at night in some of the places I go to. But other sections of the Australian population are rectifying that problem.
PP: Why are you after Shoaib Akhtar ?
RA: Ha. It just is mildly irritating that some people can't see the type of person he so obviously is.
PP: Which Pakistani current or former player(s) do the Aussies rate very highly?
RA: Wasim, Inzi, Salim Malik, Salman Butt, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar, Imran etc. All the greats, the only one who probably doesn't get the recognition is Waqar Younis because we never saw him at anything near his best.
PP: Your favorite IPL-team?
RA: Do not care. Do not watch. Do not want.
PP: What do you know about relationship between Border and Steve Waugh? Past and present?
RA: I don't know anything sorry, if you are getting at something please post it - I am not aware of anything out of the ordinary.
PP: Which format of the game do you like the most?
RA: Test cricket by miles.
PP: T20? It that cricket?
RA: Yes it is but it is a slice of salami compared to a steak.
PP: Speed and retired hurt vs swing and control?
RA: Swing and control. If you can swing the ball and control it 130kph is more than enough. 150kph dead straight does not bother good international class batsmen.
PP: Darryl Hair - Good or bad or very very bad man?
RA: Don't really have an opinion. Agreed with him calling Murali, don't know enough about the Oval to comment. His subsequent conduct was illustrative of his character though. I do get annoyed when PPers declare him to be a racist simply because he made decisions they didn't like. People can just be fools without being racist you know.
PP: What's it feel like to be a supporter of one of the most successful teams in sporting history?
RA: It was kinda boring there for a while.
PP: As an Aussie, did Oval Gate change your opinion about Hair in anyway and while we are at it - who is to blame?
RA: No it didn't really rate a mention here, happened during football season. I was not a fan of Darryl Hair anyway so nothing changed my opinion of him.
As far as who was to blame, it is a bit rich for the captain of country whose players do tamper with the ball to all of sudden become holier than thou about one particular incident.
People commonly refer to Pakistan bowlers tampering with the ball, Afridi even admitted it recently. I don't consider it was such an insult that a Test match should have been forfeited, whether or not Hair was right. And it seems from the evidence he was not.
As a cricket fan I don't really care about ball tampering, whatever you can get away with go for it. But don't pretend it does not happen and that Pakistan does not do it.
PP: What do you think needs to change in Pakistan for the Australian team to eventually tour?
RA: I don't think Australia will tour Pakistan while I am alive.
PP: What are your opinions on up and coming Aussie spinners like Steve Smith?
RA: He is a very talented batsman. No good at bowling though, same goes for every other spinner we have at the moment, they are all rubbish.
PP: What do you think needs to change in Pakistan for the team to become a viable contender for the top ranks in test cricket?
RA: Select players on merit and make the PCB a non political organisation.
PP: If you ever had the chance to visit Pakistan, what city would you go to? What aspects do you like about our country?
RA: I really know nothing about Pakistan and don't have any desire to visit. The scenery in some places is amazing from what I have seen in photographs.
PP: If there were one Pakistani player out of the current team you could take into the Aussie team, who would it be?
RA: Mohammed Asif.
PP: You know, Australia win most of the Test and ODI matches and have been winning 3 world cups consecutively. Don’t you guys get bored that your team is winning all the time and doesn’t it feel a bit more exciting to have your team win world cups once in a while because the celebration is really better when your celebrating something that happens rarely?
RA: Yes it does get boring. I almost prefer us to lose. Unless we playing India.
PP: Of all the different fans, ie. Indian, Pakistani, English, Aussie etc. Who has generally most knowledgeable of the game? Who do you think are the most passionate about sport and in particular cricket?
RA: From my experience it is Pakistani fans. The existence and depth of this forum is testament to that. Passionate would be Indian fans in my experience.
PP: Do you believe Australia, after the loss of their major players like McGrath, Warne, and Gilchrist, will also be able to recover from the loss of Hussey and Ponting in a few years too?
RA: Yes, we have some real guns 25 and under coming through. Far better talents than most of the guys we have in the team now.
PP: Did you learn all your Urdu on PP?
RA: I already knew inshallah and assalamualikem (or however you spell it) but other than that yes.
PP: What is your favourite Urdu phrase other than "___ phir ro rahe hain"?
RA: That is my favorite one. It's like a signature guitar riff now.
PP: Have you ever used any of your Urdu in real (ie non-virtual) life outside of PP?
RA: No, I don't know anyone who speaks Urdu.
PP: What do you do for a living?
RA: I work in project and risk management. And play music.
PP: What are your views on Israel vs Palestine issue?
RA: Wow that is a question requiring a complex answer. Things are not as black and white as some on PP would have them be. It is not simply case of Israel = bad. The Palestinians are just as bad in their own way.
But in general my opinion is that Israel the nation is responsible for the care and protection of every single person who lives within Israel's declared borders. It practices apartheid within it's own national boundaries and as such is every bit as reprehensible as the former South African regime. Israel could end this issue fairly quickly, all it has to do is allow every person who lives within Israel's declared borders to have equal voting and legal rights. Where it becomes reprehensible is that they will not do that - even though logically it is fair - because of an adherence to racial superiority and if that were to happen demographics would defeat the idea of a state consisting of a certain race of people.
PP: There is a perception that you don’t accept defeat gracefully when you loose an argument. Is it true?
RA: I don't lose arguments. A debate on a forum is not a win loss equation. Both sides present a view and other people read it. Ergo a forum.
Cheerleaders can make their own judgements about debates and who won.
PP: What is the general Ozzy view on American foreign policy?
RA: We don't really care. We have beer, sun, barbeques, work and those things happen a long way away and don't have any material effect on life here.
PP: What are your views about Muslims specially Pakistanis?
RA: Varies from person to person. I haven't noticed anything specific to Muslim Pakistanis that sets them apart.
I do think the adherence to some stone age rules is strange but I am not
religious so I don't really understand anyone who believes in some sort of magic force that exists to protect them and send them to a fictitious heaven.
PP: Did PP (members and their ideologies) help you change your opinion about Muslims specially Pakistanis?
RA: Nope. Hardened my opinion about students or welfare recipients sitting in the West living the good life and denouncing what they see around them when they would never dream of leaving that comfortable life to do something about it.
PP: Do you think whatever media shows is true about Muslims specially Pakistanis?
RA: No. I don't really know enough about Pakistan to comment, everything I know is from the media.
In general the loudest Muslims are the freakiest and they do the rest a disservice. But that goes for every religion, Muslims have just had more success at terrorism than other religions therefore the media feeds on that fear. As they do in general to keep us in line with the big machine. Fear is the mechanism by which the modern world is kept in line. And pretty much all religions have at some stage had an element of terrorism.
PP: Are You Pro-war or anti-war? No ifs and buts please.
RA: Pro war. Sometimes war is necessary for the greater good.
PP: What is your favourite dish?
RA: Steak. With garlic and rosemary. And a salad.
PP: I am sure I have seen you post in another forum, Maybe on the old BBC TMS days?
RA: Nope not me.
PP: Which are the best 2 Cities in Australia to visit? And why?
RA: Melbourne and Sydney. Very different but both offer the best we have to offer in terms of beaches, sights to see, global city (Sydney) and entertainment, sport and nightlife (Melbourne). Don't go to Adelaide it is rubbish.
PP: What is your definition of success?
RA: Happiness.
PP: Are you the founder of Random Aussie Pimping Assos(c)iation?
http://www.facebook.com/pages/*****...on/131315637720
RA: Nope.
PP: How many Indians did you beat last week, was it more or less than the previous week and what are your plans to improve this for next week?
RA: 13, I hope to do better next week. Average is about 15 depending on how many of the wannabe gangsta students get their oh so tough face in mine on the way to the bar. Or when they sleaze up to my female friends and I have to go get the chainsaw.
PP: How old are you?
RA: Just turned 34. But don't really act it or look it. I am immature and hope to stay that way.
PP: Whats Australian view on Pakistani’s?
RA: I don't think most people would have a view any more sophisticated than that they have a cricket team, they cheat at cricket and there are a lot of bombs there.
PP: I live in US and I understand [I hope] your thought process but some times you sound like white supremacist and really don't understand earthly facts. Why is that?
RA: Don't agree with either of those assertions. I certainly am no white
supremacist but then again I am no apologist for past actions which I had nothing to do with.
PP: Do you really like sheep?
RA: Yep they taste good.
PP: Why are all Aussie females referred to as Sheila's and why are men’s referred to as Bruce?
RA: It is easier to remember when you are blind drunk.
PP: Why is the national anthem of Australia not waltzing matilda?
RA: Every now and then there is a push for it to be the anthem, some people have concerns over the lyrical content though.
PP: How’s your band doing and have you ever been to any nation outside of Australia?
RA: It's going OK. We have been played on radio in a lot of countries but no tours yet, we have not been together all that long. We need to get a good record out soonish or it is all going to collapse.
Personally I have been to the US/Canada a few times, Europe a few times and visited China and Hong Kong.
PP: Don't you feel unsafe visiting Pakistani website? You never know anyone could be a suicide bomber here.
RA: I have a bomb blocker built into my browser. CIA standard issue.
PP: Is it true Aussies keep kangaroos as pet dogs?
RA: Lol no. We do feed our dogs kangaroo meat though.
PP: Why does Victoria have inferiority complex vs NSW?
RA: Because Sydney ignores us.
PP: Why do you Victorians like aerial pingpong over true contact sports like league and union?
RA: Better to watch. More variety in the play.
PP: Have you tried Pakistani food? If so which one's your favourite?
RA: No don't even know what Pakistani food is. If it is anything like Indian food then I will hate it.
PP: As a child what did you dream of as a career, did you accomplish that dream?
RA: Playing music and yes. Although I didn't really get the cocaine, private jets and the groupies. Well, not as much as I wanted but life is not over yet.
RA: It is descriptive not significant. In the context of PakPassion it essentially describes me.
PP: What brought you to PakPassion? And what makes you return? Also what’s the best thing being a PP member?
RA: I was looking for a good cricket forum for quite a while, the others I found were nowhere near the quality or popularity of PakPassion. Most cricket forums do not have enough active members to make posting worthwhile as they are not current. The number of active members on Pakpassion means the discussions are constantly changing from one day to the next, and even one hour to the next. The best thing about being a member is just to be able to engage in discussions with people from all over the world about a common subject. It really does bring people together in the sense of a shared love of cricket.
PP: After spending more than 2 years here on PP, what have you learned to like most and dislike most about PakPassion? Why have you lasted as long as you have here in PP?
RA: Best thing about Pakpassion is the quality and quantity of information in the threads. If something happens in cricket it is always covered here either by thread or article. I do feel a bit proud of the team in the way this site has become quite prominent in terms of interviews with cricketers and I enjoy contributing to that with my posts.
I don't really dislike anything about the site, otherwise I would not be visiting. Try hard keyboard warriors in TimePass annoy me - it is so cowardly to sit on an anonymous forum and post drivel about wars and real events that are occurring. If you feel so strongly about it go do something about it. Posting on the net is just play fighting and I have little respect for that.
PP: How did you make it to PP originally? Are you active on other forums as well, if so, how many?
RA: Just by Google search. I don't really post on any other forums.
PP: What do you believe are the best and worst things about Pakistan cricket?
RA: The best thing is the raw talent Pakistan can produce, just sheer match winning cricketers (especially bowlers) who can do amazing things that players from other countries just cannot do. You just can produce special players.
The worst thing is the player culture and attitude, the constant infighting both by cricketers and the goons at the PCB. Pakistan cricket is still stuck in the 80's in terms of professionalism while every other country has moved on. I would bet Zimbabwe has a better functioning cricket administration than Pakistan.
PP: Who do you feel has been Australia's best captain? Also best captain who never captained?
RA: Mark Taylor is the best captain of Australia I have seen. I never really saw Ian Chappell captain although he was reported to be very good.
Shane Warne.
PP: Do you think Australia can produce a Don Bradman ever again?
RA: Hmmm it is possible. I think Bradman was one of a kind though. I don't know if any other sport has one player who is so far ahead of every other player in history. People can argue all sorts of things to try and discredit that average but nobody else in his generation averaged 100 did they? Or even anywhere near it. The average of 60 is almost the utter high water mark in terms of cricket batting and Bradman is miles above that.
But I would say that every other country has about as much chance of producing a Bradman as we do.
PP: Any upcoming Australian cricketer who you feel will be a star tomorrow?
RA: Mitchell Marsh. Josh Hazelwood. Usman Khawaja.
PP: What are your earliest experiences of following/watching international cricket?
RA: Kim Hughes resigning in tears and my mum telling me he was a sook. Going to the MCG Test when Greg Chappell, Lillee and Marsh retired (I think).
PP: What are your most memorable cricketing memories?
RA: Personally, hitting the winning runs to win the State championship for my school.
Watching Wasim Akram live at the MCG during the 1992 World Cup - wow he was fast, you could hear the crowd gasp as he bowled. Also watching on TV on a country holiday when Pakistan played Sri Lanka when Wasim hit the Sri Lankan opener in the groin with consecutive deliveries.
Sehwag hitting that hundred against us at the MCG in 2004. Shane Warne's last Test at the MCG.
Shane Warne bowling to Chris Read at the MCG in that Test, Read was so clueless a guy in the crowd yelled out "Hey Chris he's bowling leg spin!"
PP: Why have Geelong been so good over the last half decade?
RA: Always had a talented side that underachieved, they made a decision after a bad year to do 2 things (both of which are applicable to cricket actually):
1) Play players in their natural positions and don't try to make them something they are not.
2) Play the game the way they want to play, not play it the way everyone else plays it.
PP: What would be your all time Aussie X1 from players you have seen?
RA:
Matthew Hayden
Michael Slater
Ricky Ponting
Greg Chappell
Steve Waugh
Allan Border
Adam Gilchrist
Shane Warne
Dennis Lillee
Jason Gillespie
Glenn McGrath
PP: Apart from cricket what other sports do you like to watch?
RA: Australian Rules Football, a bit of professional wrestling. That's about it but I will watch anything if it is on where I am. I don't watch television at home though.
PP: Australia have flopped in last Two T20 WCs do you think they will fare any better in this one?
RA: Probably not. We have not picked our 2 best in form bowlers and Michael Clarke is captain. Should be a bit better than last time when we picked an ODI side but it still will not be the best eleven T20 players in Australia playing.
PP: Do you think Damien Martyn is the most elegant bat Australia ever created?
RA: No, Greg Chappell. As an aside, Matthew Elliot was a gorgeous player to watch but he did not have the mental strength to suceed at Test cricket.
PP: You definitely talk a good game. Do you or have you played league cricket in Australia? If yes, what format do they play under, and I have heard that the games are spread over 2 weekends. Is it true?
RA: Yes I played a bit as a junior and then for my high school in the firsts. League cricket is over 2 weekends, one day per weekend, unlimited overs, one innings each.
PP: How has Australian domestic cricket become so competitive and successful?
RA: There are only 6 teams and only 12 first class games plus the final. The players need to perform under pressure, no second chances and we do not accept non competitive performances. You should see the media here go ballistic when the cricket team does not perform as expected. It is not like county cricket where there are a million matches and if you don't perform well there is always the next game.
PP: How should Pakistan improve their domestic competitions ?
RA: I don't think domestic cricket is the problem. The problem is the PCB and dishonest selections. If you think that the Pakistan XI in any given game is the best eleven players in Pakistan I have some land to sell you....
PP: Do Aussies even care when Pakistan visits them? We have been pwned for a decade now.
RA: Not really. We are usually interested in seeing the bowlers bowl though.
PP: Why is Dennis Lillee not that good?
RA: He was that good. Don't really care if people think otherwise.
PP: What is your opinion about the current form of Ricky Ponting? Is it time for him to give up the game? If he continues for a while will he ever be able to overtake Tendulkar's test runs?
RA: He will have a good run again for a while but his best is past. The mental effort of captaining (and he is not a natural or good captain anyway) and batting at number 3 wears him down. I would like to see him sit at number 6, the opposition would hate that quality of player coming in at number 6.
I think he will leave after 2011 World Cup and our fourth consecutive trophy.
Will not overtake Tendulkar.
PP: Do you like Harbjahan Singh?
RA: Great character and a fighter. I don't really like him but the effect of what does means I am not supposed to like him.
I do wish he would bowl with more aggression, he darts it in way too much. Much more dangerous when he flights the ball.
PP: Are you a fan of Sreesanth?
RA: I think he is a talented bowler, perhaps the most talented India have unearthed for some time. He has fantastic seam position and bowls genuine wicket taking line and length. His weakness is all mental. By contrast Ishant has talent but bowls the wrong length to consistently take wickets (a little like Peter Siddle actually).
PP: Which team is most threatening to Australia in the upcoming world cups (T20 & ODI)?
RA: All of them in T20 ha. In the World Cup no team really. Every team can win on it's day but overall I would back the Australian team against any other team in a pressure situation. Unless we run into NZ with Bond playing in which case we will probably lose as he owns us.
PP: Which Pakistani cricketer do you think has the potential to become one of the game's greatest players? E.g Gilchrist, Ponting and Warne from Australia.
RA: Mohammed Aamer.
PP: Aussies seems to play all sports very hard - is this just a natural instinct or are you taught at a young age to play aggressively?
RA: Not sure, it is the way we play sport from the start. I suspect it is conditioning rather than instinct. Every time sport is played here even in the backyard it is competitive, nobody likes to lose.
PP: Are you yourself a cricketer? If so any good tips on batting or bowling?
RA: I was a cricketer, opening bat and pace bowler. I still dominate backyard and beach cricket to the extent I get asked to hit catches or bowl at half pace.
For batting, play as late as possible and make sure your weight moves with you and is channelled through the shot. And if you are not good at a shot, don't play it.
For bowling, just practice line and length. You need to be able to bowl 99 out of 100 balls in the same 5x5cm square. If you can do that you will be a success. If you can't then it is up to luck.
PP: Does posting on PakPassion impact your personal and professional life?
RA: No. I read very fast ie a 500 page book in 2 hours. I have the site open when I am surfing the web and at work but I don't spend that much time actively looking at threads or posting.
PP: Your current and past favourite Pakistani player(s)?
RA: Past player - Wasim Akram.
Current player - Aamer.
For amusement I like to watch Imran Farhat, you can almost hear the clock ticking in his head counting down to a mad swipe at the ball.
PP: Do you personally feel Shane Warne could have made an excellent skipper for Australia?
RA: Oh yeah he would have been great. But even he was made captain he would not have been able to stay out of trouble so was never going to happen.
PP: Who would win in a battle between: 1. Pirates vs ninjas? 2. Shark vs octopus? 3. Windies of the 80s vs Aussies of the 00s
RA: Ninjas, shark and the Windies would have smashed us.
PP: Besides cricket & baiting Indians on PP, what is your other favorite hobby/ activity?
RA: Playing music and hanging out in bars.
PP: Is your dislike for India just for cricketing reasons or is there other reasons as well?
RA: Just cricket because their fans are such whingers (in general that is there are some awesome Indian fans too). Of late it does extend to the thousands of male Indian students who think they are so gangsta and hang out at night in some of the places I go to. But other sections of the Australian population are rectifying that problem.
PP: Why are you after Shoaib Akhtar ?
RA: Ha. It just is mildly irritating that some people can't see the type of person he so obviously is.
PP: Which Pakistani current or former player(s) do the Aussies rate very highly?
RA: Wasim, Inzi, Salim Malik, Salman Butt, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar, Imran etc. All the greats, the only one who probably doesn't get the recognition is Waqar Younis because we never saw him at anything near his best.
PP: Your favorite IPL-team?
RA: Do not care. Do not watch. Do not want.
PP: What do you know about relationship between Border and Steve Waugh? Past and present?
RA: I don't know anything sorry, if you are getting at something please post it - I am not aware of anything out of the ordinary.
PP: Which format of the game do you like the most?
RA: Test cricket by miles.
PP: T20? It that cricket?
RA: Yes it is but it is a slice of salami compared to a steak.
PP: Speed and retired hurt vs swing and control?
RA: Swing and control. If you can swing the ball and control it 130kph is more than enough. 150kph dead straight does not bother good international class batsmen.
PP: Darryl Hair - Good or bad or very very bad man?
RA: Don't really have an opinion. Agreed with him calling Murali, don't know enough about the Oval to comment. His subsequent conduct was illustrative of his character though. I do get annoyed when PPers declare him to be a racist simply because he made decisions they didn't like. People can just be fools without being racist you know.
PP: What's it feel like to be a supporter of one of the most successful teams in sporting history?
RA: It was kinda boring there for a while.
PP: As an Aussie, did Oval Gate change your opinion about Hair in anyway and while we are at it - who is to blame?
RA: No it didn't really rate a mention here, happened during football season. I was not a fan of Darryl Hair anyway so nothing changed my opinion of him.
As far as who was to blame, it is a bit rich for the captain of country whose players do tamper with the ball to all of sudden become holier than thou about one particular incident.
People commonly refer to Pakistan bowlers tampering with the ball, Afridi even admitted it recently. I don't consider it was such an insult that a Test match should have been forfeited, whether or not Hair was right. And it seems from the evidence he was not.
As a cricket fan I don't really care about ball tampering, whatever you can get away with go for it. But don't pretend it does not happen and that Pakistan does not do it.
PP: What do you think needs to change in Pakistan for the Australian team to eventually tour?
RA: I don't think Australia will tour Pakistan while I am alive.
PP: What are your opinions on up and coming Aussie spinners like Steve Smith?
RA: He is a very talented batsman. No good at bowling though, same goes for every other spinner we have at the moment, they are all rubbish.
PP: What do you think needs to change in Pakistan for the team to become a viable contender for the top ranks in test cricket?
RA: Select players on merit and make the PCB a non political organisation.
PP: If you ever had the chance to visit Pakistan, what city would you go to? What aspects do you like about our country?
RA: I really know nothing about Pakistan and don't have any desire to visit. The scenery in some places is amazing from what I have seen in photographs.
PP: If there were one Pakistani player out of the current team you could take into the Aussie team, who would it be?
RA: Mohammed Asif.
PP: You know, Australia win most of the Test and ODI matches and have been winning 3 world cups consecutively. Don’t you guys get bored that your team is winning all the time and doesn’t it feel a bit more exciting to have your team win world cups once in a while because the celebration is really better when your celebrating something that happens rarely?
RA: Yes it does get boring. I almost prefer us to lose. Unless we playing India.
PP: Of all the different fans, ie. Indian, Pakistani, English, Aussie etc. Who has generally most knowledgeable of the game? Who do you think are the most passionate about sport and in particular cricket?
RA: From my experience it is Pakistani fans. The existence and depth of this forum is testament to that. Passionate would be Indian fans in my experience.
PP: Do you believe Australia, after the loss of their major players like McGrath, Warne, and Gilchrist, will also be able to recover from the loss of Hussey and Ponting in a few years too?
RA: Yes, we have some real guns 25 and under coming through. Far better talents than most of the guys we have in the team now.
PP: Did you learn all your Urdu on PP?
RA: I already knew inshallah and assalamualikem (or however you spell it) but other than that yes.
PP: What is your favourite Urdu phrase other than "___ phir ro rahe hain"?
RA: That is my favorite one. It's like a signature guitar riff now.
PP: Have you ever used any of your Urdu in real (ie non-virtual) life outside of PP?
RA: No, I don't know anyone who speaks Urdu.
PP: What do you do for a living?
RA: I work in project and risk management. And play music.
PP: What are your views on Israel vs Palestine issue?
RA: Wow that is a question requiring a complex answer. Things are not as black and white as some on PP would have them be. It is not simply case of Israel = bad. The Palestinians are just as bad in their own way.
But in general my opinion is that Israel the nation is responsible for the care and protection of every single person who lives within Israel's declared borders. It practices apartheid within it's own national boundaries and as such is every bit as reprehensible as the former South African regime. Israel could end this issue fairly quickly, all it has to do is allow every person who lives within Israel's declared borders to have equal voting and legal rights. Where it becomes reprehensible is that they will not do that - even though logically it is fair - because of an adherence to racial superiority and if that were to happen demographics would defeat the idea of a state consisting of a certain race of people.
PP: There is a perception that you don’t accept defeat gracefully when you loose an argument. Is it true?
RA: I don't lose arguments. A debate on a forum is not a win loss equation. Both sides present a view and other people read it. Ergo a forum.
Cheerleaders can make their own judgements about debates and who won.
PP: What is the general Ozzy view on American foreign policy?
RA: We don't really care. We have beer, sun, barbeques, work and those things happen a long way away and don't have any material effect on life here.
PP: What are your views about Muslims specially Pakistanis?
RA: Varies from person to person. I haven't noticed anything specific to Muslim Pakistanis that sets them apart.
I do think the adherence to some stone age rules is strange but I am not
religious so I don't really understand anyone who believes in some sort of magic force that exists to protect them and send them to a fictitious heaven.
PP: Did PP (members and their ideologies) help you change your opinion about Muslims specially Pakistanis?
RA: Nope. Hardened my opinion about students or welfare recipients sitting in the West living the good life and denouncing what they see around them when they would never dream of leaving that comfortable life to do something about it.
PP: Do you think whatever media shows is true about Muslims specially Pakistanis?
RA: No. I don't really know enough about Pakistan to comment, everything I know is from the media.
In general the loudest Muslims are the freakiest and they do the rest a disservice. But that goes for every religion, Muslims have just had more success at terrorism than other religions therefore the media feeds on that fear. As they do in general to keep us in line with the big machine. Fear is the mechanism by which the modern world is kept in line. And pretty much all religions have at some stage had an element of terrorism.
PP: Are You Pro-war or anti-war? No ifs and buts please.
RA: Pro war. Sometimes war is necessary for the greater good.
PP: What is your favourite dish?
RA: Steak. With garlic and rosemary. And a salad.
PP: I am sure I have seen you post in another forum, Maybe on the old BBC TMS days?
RA: Nope not me.
PP: Which are the best 2 Cities in Australia to visit? And why?
RA: Melbourne and Sydney. Very different but both offer the best we have to offer in terms of beaches, sights to see, global city (Sydney) and entertainment, sport and nightlife (Melbourne). Don't go to Adelaide it is rubbish.
PP: What is your definition of success?
RA: Happiness.
PP: Are you the founder of Random Aussie Pimping Assos(c)iation?
http://www.facebook.com/pages/*****...on/131315637720
RA: Nope.
PP: How many Indians did you beat last week, was it more or less than the previous week and what are your plans to improve this for next week?
RA: 13, I hope to do better next week. Average is about 15 depending on how many of the wannabe gangsta students get their oh so tough face in mine on the way to the bar. Or when they sleaze up to my female friends and I have to go get the chainsaw.
PP: How old are you?
RA: Just turned 34. But don't really act it or look it. I am immature and hope to stay that way.
PP: Whats Australian view on Pakistani’s?
RA: I don't think most people would have a view any more sophisticated than that they have a cricket team, they cheat at cricket and there are a lot of bombs there.
PP: I live in US and I understand [I hope] your thought process but some times you sound like white supremacist and really don't understand earthly facts. Why is that?
RA: Don't agree with either of those assertions. I certainly am no white
supremacist but then again I am no apologist for past actions which I had nothing to do with.
PP: Do you really like sheep?
RA: Yep they taste good.
PP: Why are all Aussie females referred to as Sheila's and why are men’s referred to as Bruce?
RA: It is easier to remember when you are blind drunk.
PP: Why is the national anthem of Australia not waltzing matilda?
RA: Every now and then there is a push for it to be the anthem, some people have concerns over the lyrical content though.
PP: How’s your band doing and have you ever been to any nation outside of Australia?
RA: It's going OK. We have been played on radio in a lot of countries but no tours yet, we have not been together all that long. We need to get a good record out soonish or it is all going to collapse.
Personally I have been to the US/Canada a few times, Europe a few times and visited China and Hong Kong.
PP: Don't you feel unsafe visiting Pakistani website? You never know anyone could be a suicide bomber here.
RA: I have a bomb blocker built into my browser. CIA standard issue.
PP: Is it true Aussies keep kangaroos as pet dogs?
RA: Lol no. We do feed our dogs kangaroo meat though.
PP: Why does Victoria have inferiority complex vs NSW?
RA: Because Sydney ignores us.
PP: Why do you Victorians like aerial pingpong over true contact sports like league and union?
RA: Better to watch. More variety in the play.
PP: Have you tried Pakistani food? If so which one's your favourite?
RA: No don't even know what Pakistani food is. If it is anything like Indian food then I will hate it.
PP: As a child what did you dream of as a career, did you accomplish that dream?
RA: Playing music and yes. Although I didn't really get the cocaine, private jets and the groupies. Well, not as much as I wanted but life is not over yet.
