I always thought as an outfielder he was good.There is no way McGrath belongs in the best fielding team.
I'll offer up an XI of fielders to play you....Well I have seen all sorts of elevens made up up on this thread so I decided to make one up of the best Fielders that I have seen. NOT necessarily in batting order
Jonty Rhodes
Colin Bland
Ricky Ponting
Rohan Kanhai
Clive LLoyd
Bob Simpson
Colin Cowdrey
Wes Hall
Norm O'neill
Don Tallon(Keeper)
Keith Miller
And your alternative is.....................?There is no way McGrath belongs in the best fielding team.
And you have seen them all play?I'll offer up an XI of fielders to play you....
Gordon Greenidge (slip)
Mark Waugh (slip)
Viv Richards (cover/slip)
Allan Border (mid wicket)
AB DeVillers (anywhere/point)
Andrew Symonds (anywhere)
Ian Botham (anywhere/slip)
Ian Healy (wk)
Heath Streak (boundary)
Merv Hughes (boundary)
Joel Garner (gully)
I honestly think I could compile a list of 75 Test Cricketers who I rate above McGrath.And your alternative is.....................?
His fielding IMPO has always been a high standard from the outfield in particular and his returns are accurate right over the stumps PLUS in an eleven mentioned prior/alternative who else has taken as many Test wickets?I honestly think I could compile a list of 75 Test Cricketers who I rate above McGrath.
But hey, I do feel as though Pidge improved his fielding during his career and that has to be worth something.
I think the best description was he was more than adequate. I don't recall him fielding any great distance from the wicket. I vaguely recall him in the slips ,gully and mid off/on.I appreciate that you didn't see him before the war when he was at his best JB, but from what you did see how good a fielder was The Don?
Indeed.And you have seen them all play?
He was at cover when Hutton passed his test high score iirc.I think the best description was he was more than adequate. I don't recall him fielding any great distance from the wicket. I vaguely recall him in the slips ,gully and mid off/on.
Incidently, Hobbs total of 19 Test match run outs (non-wicketkeepers) puts him at No.1 in the all-time list. And his rate of 3.11 run outs per 10 Tests puts him on a near par with the likes of Colin Bland who achieved a rate of 3.33.It is nevertheless remarkable, in the face of modern careers that run to double or triple the number of Tests, to see Jack Hobbs firmly entrenched at the top. Hobbs was still running out batsmen from cover well into his forties; you would think that batsmen would learn. At a critical stage of the Adelaide Test of 1928/29, Hobbs became the only player to run Don Bradman out in a Test match. He was returning a favour: Bradman was the only fieldsman to run Hobbs out; in Brisbane earlier in the series, and later at Headingley in 1930. Contemporary reports suggest that Hobbs was expert at foxing batsmen, running at the ball at just the speed that would tempt the batsmen into attempting a run, then swooping.
http://www.sportstats.com.au/runoutsarticlejune2012.html