Is Jonty Rhodes the best fielder International Cricket has seen ?

[Fuller Pilch]

Seriously. I might as well start nominating Robin Singh as the best fielder ever. Had just as much of a career as Harris.

Also 29 of his 203 wickets (14.28%) were caught and bowled which was 2nd only to Murali by number and by far the highest % of any proper bowler in ODIs (Border and Tikolo were the only ones higher % wise for c & b).

 

[_00_deathscar]

Yet another thread, this one made 10+ years ago, where The Answer…

 

[Bolo.]

Noone's rivaled Jonty's explosiveness from a low center of gravity. Noone's sprung up faster from a dead sprawl on the ground to release a ball either.

I think he was a bit better at this than the other top fielders. But I also think him being better at anticipating where the ball was going created this impression.

 

[Socerer 01]

Yet another thread, this one made 15 years ago, where The Answer…

weird that modern players dont get any mention so far barring a kiwibro doing kiwibro things and hyping Phillips up

Jadeja, Faf and Maxwell are beasts

 

[SeamUp]

Great threat on Colin Bland

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1776177464827326638

 

[shortpitched713]

Gary Pratt was decent at hitting the stumps.

 

[shortpitched713]

Also 29 of his 203 wickets (14.28%) were caught and bowled which was 2nd only to Murali by number and by far the highest % of any proper bowler in ODIs (Border and Tikolo were the only ones higher % wise for c & b).

Backing up opinions with evidence. A novel concept in these parts. I like it.

 

[kyear2]

Was there even scouting, why keep taking quick singles on the same guy.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Gary Pratt was decent at hitting the stumps.

How about a Pratt vs Ponting fielding comparison? Would be even be better than a Murray Mints v sandpaper comparison.

 

[Immenso]

Stealing this from a kimber podcast.

To paraphrase:
"it's ironic, or fitting, that the most iconic Rhodes runout is one where he didnt throw the ball at the stumps"

 

[Ashwinashwath]

Rhodes was ahead of his time. But modern players show agility like him very often and so its like Bobby Fischer's legacy as a child prodigy against musrooming of youngsters like Pragg, Gukesh, Erigaisi, Firoujza etc...

 

[Migara]

^This. Rhodes was iconic and a trendsetter, just leagues above everyone else at the time (the leaping salmon pics are forever). The reputation he built up when there weren't too many sprinters between wickets meant he always came in to bat with a 15-20 run surplus at least.

Mahanama debuted about 6 years prior to Rhodes and was electric on the field from his debut. There was not much television coverage as happened post-1996 about his feats. Probably he was the best fielder in the world around end of 80s (at least in international arena). The mid 90s Mahanama was a slowed man with multiple injuries, but still he was elite.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Mahanama debuted about 6 years prior to Rhodes and was electric on the field from his debut.

Probably he was the best fielder in the world around end of 80s.

Roger Harper was.

 

[Migara]

Roger Harper was.

Debatable. Obviously Harper did not play as much as Mahanama in international arena. Mahanama has accounted for way more catches and run outs than Harper.

 

[mackembhoy]

Surprised nobody not thrown Stokes name into the ring.

Spent his career pulling off sublime bits of fielding.

 

[Prince EWS]

It's obviously Young Murali.

@TheJediBrah

 

[honestbharani]

Young Murali.

The next CBS series?

 

[Migara]

Some one has dour sour grapes.

 

[Ashwinashwath]

Azhar was good in catches and hitting the stumps. Not so swift in aerodynamically intercepting balls and sprinting up like Gibbs or Rhodes. But thats also good grade fielding display. Mark Waugh was a great fielder too. Ajay Jadeja and Ponting were swift too. There was this Noel David and also Robin Singh who hit the syumps from any psrt of the ground. But they were not trained in modern facilities like this day and age cricketers. So flashes of genius.

 

[Silver Silva]

I would give it to Symonds (RIP). What a nightmare that 2000's Australian team was, all boxes ticked.