mahanama was very good. but collingwood was better because of the kind of catches he took. of course, mahanama might have done the same and it's just the case that we don't know about it.
Actually, there were several before him that set the example that he followed. Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards and Allan Border for starters. It probably all goes back to Colin Bland who was probably the first to take fielding really seriously.
Tillekaratne was damn good. Easily the best short leg fielder in last 30 years. IIRC has the highest number of short leg and silly point catches by a player. David Boon, and few Indians were exceptional at close in, but never seen them take full blooded sweeps without ducking, which Tillekaratne was famous to do.
"Three quarters of the world is covered by water and the rest by Jonty Rhodes"
WAG
Flintoff the obv answer as said by others but Gough was a fantastic outfielder and was, suprisingly, Andre Nel-- amazingly agile for a big man.
Or Brett Lee if you think along those lines.
I agree there were others before Rhodes, but I think Rhodes was the first to popularise it beyond his own team, he was so spectacular. It even seeped to junior levels where in fielding practice every kid wanted to be Jonty Rhodes.
I've just rembered, Chris Lewis must be in with a shout. A fine athletic fielder. Best of all, he was that rare all-rounder whose batting and bowling were of exactly equal quality.
Chris Harris. Unreal fielder. Finest moment was in the 1992 World Cup, running David Boon out for 100 directly side-on from well outside the field. I've seen nothing that suggests he wasn't nigh on, or equal to, Rhodes as a backward point fielder.
Colin Bland is a good call. Paul Sheahan was one of the great cover fieldsmen and had a brilliant throw.
