The Fielding XI

[SJS]

Thats a very good thread and a very difficult one to do justice to as far as picking a team is concerned. I am trying to list out the great fielders at the specialist positions which is one way of doing it but one may still leave out many. Then there is a team balance to be seen. PLUS how many great slip fielders does one need ??

I am going to give it a try though

In the meanwhile here is an interesting article from someone who should know - he being one of if not THE greatest slip fielder of all time.

Dropping standards in the slips ??

 

[SJS]

Here is a first list

Slips
Simpson
Taylor
Fleming
Mark waugh
Chappell G
Chappell I
Hammond
Cowdrey
Brearley
Redpath
Lloyd
Sobers

Gully
Chapman
Benaud
Gibbs
Mallett
Ponting
Sobers

Cover Point
Bland
Hobbs
Randall
Pataudi Jr
Jonty Rhodes
Sobers

Short leg
Solkar
Lock
Sobers

Sure there are more

 

[benchmark00]

Warne is dramatically overrated as a slipper.

Way to rob Flemming of a hat trick ,Warna.

 

[cricketboy29]

Mohammed Kaif, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, anyone?

 

[Blaze]

Yeah Warne is overrated.

 

[Dasa]

Dravid is one of the best in the slips.

 

[Top_Cat]

Warne is dramatically overrated as a slipper.

Way to rob Flemming of a hat trick ,Warna.

His hit-rate for catches vs misses would not be as good as Mark Waugh, Azharuddin, Fleming, Richardson, Taylor, etc. SO he's not quite in the top-echelon but I think he deserves a little leeway considering he's been Australia's premier strike bowling weapon for over 13 years now. How many slippers have played the game as long as he has, average 30 overs a day and still nab everything that comes their way?

 

[SJS]

Mohammed Kaif, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, anyone?

Yuvraj specialises in cover point or rather thats where he really shines and the competition there is very tough worldwide and over time but if we made a list of outfielders over time (positions in the outfield other than cover point/covers I think Kaif may rate pretty high. He covers long distances of ground very quickly, is extremely focussed which is different when running for long for a catch than diving for a quick lightning reflex stop (different mind you not easier or tougher) and has a great pair of hands.

His catch when falling over Badani (I think) must rank as one of the greatest in the game. It had everything.

For Raina its early days yet.

 

[archie mac]

Just couple that have been missed (I think)

Arthur Chipperfield, some old timers were still saying he was better than Simpson when he came along.

George Lohmann, maybe the first great slipper.

Ken Hutchings, who could field anywhere from slip to the boundary and was rated the best AR fielder in the world during his playing days.

Tony Lock fielding in close with no fear (and no helmet) helped to make Laker the great bowler he was.

From my time the Chappells were great fielders as was Gus Logie but the best I ever saw was Roger Harper And from reading I think Constantine ahead of Chapman

 

[Maison]

His hit-rate for catches vs misses would not be as good as Mark Waugh, Azharuddin, Fleming, Richardson, Taylor, etc. SO he's not quite in the top-echelon but I think he deserves a little leeway considering he's been Australia's premier strike bowling weapon for over 13 years now. How many slippers have played the game as long as he has, average 30 overs a day and still nab everything that comes their way?

exactly.

it's not as if he's 'bad in the slip (up) zone'

he does some pretty good catches.

i reckon hayden's alright aswell

 

[benchmark00]

His hit-rate for catches vs misses would not be as good as Mark Waugh, Azharuddin, Fleming, Richardson, Taylor, etc. SO he's not quite in the top-echelon but I think he deserves a little leeway considering he's been Australia's premier strike bowling weapon for over 13 years now. How many slippers have played the game as long as he has, average 30 overs a day and still nab everything that comes their way?

People rate him in that echelon, making him over rated by definition.

We're judging him by his slips ability, bowling shouldnt figure.

 

[aussie]

Warne is dramatically overrated as a slipper.

Way to rob Flemming of a hat trick ,Warna.

nah i dont think so i think the plaudits he recieved for his slip fielding abilities are justified. I have seen him take more than he has dropped at 1st slip & when he used to field at gully while Mark Taylor was captain.

 

[Top_Cat]

People rate him in that echelon, making him over rated by definition.

Who? I've never heard anyone on here or commentators do that. Maybe idiot Lawrie but everyone should know what his opinion on anyone or anything Victorian is by now. Certainly you're right; if anyone rates him in their bracket, they are seriously deluded.

We're judging him by his slips ability, bowling shouldnt figure.

If I had to nominate a reason for why *I* don't rate him as high as the others, his bowling would come into it in the following way; Warnie rarely takes speccies in the way the above do. I would say that he'd hardly feel like throwing himself around with the overs he bowls (nor is he as athletic as those guys) so I don't think he goes for them. When he does get one within his range, I've rarely seen him miss. His standards are usually pretty high as far as catch-drop ratio goes (anecdotally, of course; I have no numbers to back this up). So he's a solid slipper rather than a spectacular one.

 

[benchmark00]

I agree, solid no doubt. Nothing special in my opinion.

Aussie, saying that you've seen someone catch more than theyve dropped doesnt make them good, it's what theyre supposed to be doing!

 

[greg]

Current XI:

1. X Marshall (Mid Wicket/Short Leg)
2. H Gibbs (Gully)
3. R Ponting (2nd Slip)
4. M Clarke (Cover)
5. P Collingwood (Point)
6. A Symonds (Sqaure Leg)
7. A Flintoff (3rd Slip)
8. C Read (Wicket Keeper)
9. S Warne (1st Slip)
10. B Lee (Mid Off)
11. S Jones (Fine Leg)

Collingwood doesn't hit the stumps on runouts so he's out. I can't think that Flintoff has ever fielded 3rd slip, and his slipping in general has deteriorated recently (probably because he doesn't have the time to practice). Can't work out why Simon Jones is there. Unless, like Lee, it's because he looks "athletic". Is Marshall better than Bell at short leg? Trescothick above Warne IMO, although it's a coin toss.

 

[Ming]

Marshall doesn't field at short leg.

Marshall in there for Lee, and McCullum for Read.

 

[greg]

Marshall doesn't field at short leg.

Marshall in there for Lee, and McCullum for Read.

Won't the former leave the side a bit short on bowling? I assume the latter nomination is a joke? (but then it's a bit difficult to tell with New Zealanders ).

 

[Ming]

Care to nominate the last time McCullum made an error apart from the dropped catch of Ponting?

If we are going to name domestic keepers, I might as well nominate Gareth Hopkins who is arguably the tidiest keeper NZ has seen for a while.

 

[BlackCap_Fan]

Oh come on, no Harris at point?

 

[SJS]

I have taken two separate approaches. First a team of great fielders and tried to make a reasonable twam with tem. In the second case I have taken great cricketers who were also extremely good fielders and made a team. Only five of them make both teams.

GREAT FIELDERS WHO MAKE A GOOD TEST SIDE

1. Bob Simpson - Slips
2. Mark Taylor - Slips
3. Mark Waugh/Greg Chappell - Slips, outfield
4. Sobers - ANYWHERE - short leg
5. Colin Bland - Covers
6. Jonty Rhodes - Cover Point
7. Benaud - Gully
8. Davidson - ANYWHERE
9. Constantine - ANYWHERE - outfield
10. Roger Harper - ANYWHERE - outfield

PLUS Wicket keeper.

12th Man : Joe Solomon


Terrible to leave out Solkar and Lock but with Sobers in the side, their terrific skills at short leg may not be required.

GREAT CRICKETERS WHO WOULD MAKE A TERRIFIC FIELDING SIDE

1. Jack Hobbs - Covers
2. Simpson - Slips
3. Hammond - Slips
4. Neil Harvey - Cover Point
5. Viv Richards - Slips, Outfield
6. Sobers - ANYWHERE - Short leg
7. Miller - ANYWHERE - Outfield
8. Botham - Slips
9. Benaud - Gully
10. Davidson - ANYWHERE

PLUS Wicket Keeper

12th Man : Kapil Dev