Former South Africa cricketer Jonty Rhodes, who is regarded by many as the greatest fielder of all time, revealed the name of one player who he considers is the best in the world currently. Rhodes believes that there is only one great fielder in cricket currently and he plays for Team India. The former Proteas cricketer, who serves as fielding coach for the Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League (IPL), told Times of India that India's Ravindra Jadeja is the only top-quality fielder in the world.
Jadeja's three-dimensional game has proved to be a game-changer for the Indian national team. Be it fielding inside the 30-yard circle or guarding the boundary cushion, the veteran Indian cricketer is outstanding. He is exceedingly quick and his ability to pull off spectacular catches is second to none. Also, with his powerful throwing arm, Jadeja has inflicted numerous spectacular run-outs.
Rhodes also underlined the role India's cash-rich tournament has played in uplifting the standards of fielding in world cricket.
"It is T20 cricket specifically, not just limited overs. Only when IPL began, people really started focusing on fielding. Not every team had fielding coaches. There was enough time in 50-over matches. You had 3-4 good fielders and 6-7 guys didn’t do great. But once IPL started, we saw growth in fielding. Since 2008, around 12-13 years have been amazing. Earlier, people spoke about fielding but there were only 3-4 good individuals. But now, as a team we have seen the growth of fielding go through the roof," Rhodes said.
"It is not difficult to focus on fielding because it is a discipline. We have fielding coaches and their job is to make the work done. Just like batting and bowling, it is a part of daily practice. As a fielding coach, I am not requesting players, I am getting them into fielding rules. Fielding now is an important part of cricket," he added
Rhodes is of the opinion that in order to improve the standard of fielding in domestic cricket, the concept of employing fielding coaches with teams should be fast-tracked.
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