Lillian Thomson
Hall of Fame Member
It looks like there's been 99 replies to this cobblers, so the 100th should mention the actual greatest fielder ever - Trevor Penney.
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Is Andrew Symonds the best fielder we've ever seen?
- Thread starter Red
- Start date
honestbharani
Whatever it takes!!!
Also one of the better fielding coaches, I understand. Jonty the best at that too, as evidenced by:
Pup Clarke
Cricketer Of The Year
Think AB in the modern era is the best. Incredible reflexes (keeper and outfield), rapid pick up and release, excellent boundary fielder too and takes miraculous catches regularly. For all-round versatility and how accomplished he is at two facets of fielding, I'd give it to him. Stokes and Jadeja are close
That run-out of Katich is just truly mind-boggling. Would go as far to say it's one of the greatest 'plays' in sport
That run-out of Katich is just truly mind-boggling. Would go as far to say it's one of the greatest 'plays' in sport
stephen
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
That was absurd.
honestbharani
Whatever it takes!!!
And then there is Jadeja, better than them all.
Arachnodouche
International Captain
Never seen anyone recover from a dive into a throwing position as fast as Rhodes (or Herschelle Gibbs, who's being strangely ignored here but when he first appeared, he was considered nearly as good as Rhodes). Rhodes also attacked the ball with a lower center of gravity and with more explosiveness than any fielder I've seen.
Red
The normal awards that everyone else has
You wanna shut the banter down so we can talk about something else? Whaddya suggest?
Immenso
International Vice-Captain
Ponting is the best I have seen. Pretty much like Jonty, maybe not quite as spectacular, except dead-eyed with his throw. Jonty's direct hits let him down.
Jadeja is probably the second best I have seen. (But I've seen him less and am biased by my 90s experiences)
Compared to those two, I'd rather unkindly say that Jonty couldn't hit the side of a barn. But its a very high bar to compare to.
Jonty made fielding cool though, and when ever anyone does a great stop in hacker club cricket, it is "jonty' that people jokingly call him.
While I saw Richards, Harper, Randell etc. It was too infrequently, and I was too young.
Symonds never really grabbed my attention. I guess I dismissed any CH9 frothing the same as if it was Ian Harvey. I found they got too excited over their (Australian) allrounders. I thought Ponting, in first half of Symonds' career, and then M Clarke in second part were the best ring fielders in his team.
Jadeja is probably the second best I have seen. (But I've seen him less and am biased by my 90s experiences)
Compared to those two, I'd rather unkindly say that Jonty couldn't hit the side of a barn. But its a very high bar to compare to.
Jonty made fielding cool though, and when ever anyone does a great stop in hacker club cricket, it is "jonty' that people jokingly call him.
While I saw Richards, Harper, Randell etc. It was too infrequently, and I was too young.
Symonds never really grabbed my attention. I guess I dismissed any CH9 frothing the same as if it was Ian Harvey. I found they got too excited over their (Australian) allrounders. I thought Ponting, in first half of Symonds' career, and then M Clarke in second part were the best ring fielders in his team.
TheJediBrah
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Ch9 commentators frothing over Ian Harvey was definitely a thing. They talked about him like he was the second coming of Garry Sobers rather than the borderline international quality player that he was.
Fuller Pilch
Hall of Fame Member
Yeah he was worse than most NZ bits and pieces dibbly dobblers, but they loved him.
Line and Length
Cricketer Of The Year
Immenso
International Vice-Captain
Yeah. I saw plenty of Jonty. I don't need a youtube clip to convince me.
When my team took a tight single near backward point v South Africa, in desperation, I backed our chances at around or above 50/50 that if we didn't beat it there was still good chance he'd miss.
When my team took a tight single near Ponting, I was praying. Same with Jadeja now. I'd know we were pretty much f^&*ed before it even left their arms.
However, no doubt, about his spectacular run saving stops. Just didn't rate him as high when in 40th over plus and batters were taking on his throw regardless due to game circumstances.
Depends what you value.
When my team took a tight single near backward point v South Africa, in desperation, I backed our chances at around or above 50/50 that if we didn't beat it there was still good chance he'd miss.
When my team took a tight single near Ponting, I was praying. Same with Jadeja now. I'd know we were pretty much f^&*ed before it even left their arms.
However, no doubt, about his spectacular run saving stops. Just didn't rate him as high when in 40th over plus and batters were taking on his throw regardless due to game circumstances.
Depends what you value.
Burgey
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jadeja isn’t in Mark Waugh’s let alone Ponting’s league as a fielder ffs. This is ****ing sacrilege. Fine fielder but not in that echelon
Burgey
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**** the conversation, Jadeja or anyone going around atm being in the same thread as Symonds, Ponting or even Rhodes (comfortably third out of those three) is a joke
Burgey
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what’s the multi paying?
Burgey
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surprised these ****wits haven’t alleged it was wrongly given out tbh
Prince EWS
Global Moderator
The thing with Harvey is that he was meant to be a ****ing gun bat, but at international level he was truly horrible. He held a spot anyway based on hope, fielding and awesome death bowling, but it's the hope that gets ya.
social
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Even Harvey’s nickname was more hope than reality
Gob
International Coach
What some of you blokes don't seem to get is that fielding includes several different aspects which require different set of skills and when you are judging the GOAT, you should imo look at blokes who excelled in all those aspects.
Mark Taylor was chubby af but one of the greatest slippers ever as was VVS but you don't want neither in the ring saving runs for your life. Similarly both Jonty and Symonds were exceptional in the ring but not so great slippers. Obviously you also need the opportunity to prove yourself as well. For an example Australia had a bunch of great slippers so Symonds never had a real crack at it at the slips. Same canbe said for some one like Brett Lee who was a brilliant out fielder but he was never going to get a shot at the slips given the team he played at the time.
Anyway this is why Ponting is really unique for me. He excelled at all the aspects. He may not be as good a slipper as say Taylor or as good a ring fielder as Jonty but he was at the same ball park and he was peerless at hitting the stumps.
GOAT for me
Mark Taylor was chubby af but one of the greatest slippers ever as was VVS but you don't want neither in the ring saving runs for your life. Similarly both Jonty and Symonds were exceptional in the ring but not so great slippers. Obviously you also need the opportunity to prove yourself as well. For an example Australia had a bunch of great slippers so Symonds never had a real crack at it at the slips. Same canbe said for some one like Brett Lee who was a brilliant out fielder but he was never going to get a shot at the slips given the team he played at the time.
Anyway this is why Ponting is really unique for me. He excelled at all the aspects. He may not be as good a slipper as say Taylor or as good a ring fielder as Jonty but he was at the same ball park and he was peerless at hitting the stumps.
GOAT for me