Jonty Rhodes here to teach the finer points of fielding
During our childhood the advice we received from our parents and teachers was never wait for your target. Try and reach the target. This advice applied in right throughout your life as well as in the game of cricket.
Cricket is a game that is being played with the bat and ball. When batting the batsman go and meet the ball while in fielding you go for the ball to pick and return. In cricket fielding is a very important discipline. You can be advised by anyone but it’s the duty of the concerned to put what you learnt in to action.
On the invitation of the Sri Lanka Cricket, Jonty Rhodes one time world’s best fielder is in Sri Lanka for a short stint as fielding coach for the national team. Straight after the completion of the Indian Premier League where Jonty was involved with Mumbai Indians team which played in the finals addressed the press at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium Media Centre. In his short stay for ten days he will advice Sri Lankan on the aspects in fielding. Sri Lanka’s fielding mainly in catching and throwing let the country down at the last Cricket World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand. Matches we lost were mainly due to weak catch taking which enabled other countries to capitalize on it and post huge totals.
According to the panther like fielding specialist the main aspects of fielding were movement of the feet and body positioning. Quick movement of feet enables the fielder to move fast to the ball in collection and throwing in back to the wicket keeper right over the stumps. He said his advices will be on the collection and throwing but if a fielder is slow in his movements his advices will not be useful as the physio should be responsible of the slowness.
He also brought to the notice that due to the changes of the game fielding also had become complex. In 50 and 20 over cricket the fielders on the lines will have to put extra energy to stop fours and sixes. The game have become so competitive that every member of the team should be able to field at any position without being a specialist in one particular position.
According to the expert fielder to give the best on the field one should be physically fit, quick in his feet movement, good in body positioning, collection and should be accurate in throwing back. These are the main aspects in fielding where he will pay attention and advice. He said that age is no barrier for a good fielder as long as he is physically fit and fast on his feet, citing Misbah-ul-Haq, the 40 year Pakistan skipper.
A good fielder may score only ten runs but he will save the side over twenty runs which will be a huge benefit for the side. At the conclusion in answering question from the press Jonty said that Sri Lankans are bunch of fine cricketers and will advice them in the finer points of fielding improvements and showed his displeasure in Power Plays.