Former South Africa player and star fielder Jonty Rhodes has picked the world’s best fielder and it is none other than India’s Ravindra Jadeja.
While his all-round abilities with the bat and the bowl are just amazing, Jadeja is a gun fielder and stands out from the crowd in that domain. From pulling off breathtaking catches to effecting some sensational and crucial run-outs in the game, the star all-rounder has impressed one and all with his fielding on the ground. Jadeja rarely has have an off day in that beat.
When asked about the top three fielders in world cricket, Rhodes took only one name.
“Right now there is only one – Ravindra Jadeja,” said the former South Africa star to Times of India in an interview.
Meanwhile, Rhodes credited the Indian Premier League for raising the standard of fielding.
The mega event started in the year 2008. So far, 15 editions of IPL have taken place and players have shown great level of fielding over the years. From boundary line catches to some stunning takes inside the circle, there is hardly any quality catch that would be missing in IPL.
“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,” said Rhodes. (NDTV)
