Can keepers become slips fieldsmen?

[Matt79]

This was originally a post in the "Haddin a Bolter" thread, and while it is a question prompted by Haddin's possible inclusion in the Aussie ODI team, I think its a separate topic I'd be interested to hear people's thoughts on.

Can anyone with any keeping experience comment on how difficult it is to make the transition from keeper to slip fieldsmen. On one hand I imagine its quite hard because presumably you'd have to watch different things, and have a different set of techniques, but on the other, if you're a first-class keeper you've presumably got good reflexes, hand-eye coordination and great catching hands.

In the case of Haddin coming into the Australian team we could sure use a decent specialist slipsman at the moment, so Ponting and Clarke could be out in front of the stumps more of the time... I haven't seen Sri Lanka play recently, but where does Sangga field now?

[FaaipDeOiad]

Watson and White are both fine slip fielders at domestic level. There's also Hussey and Hayden, as well as Ponting. I don't think Australia are desperately wanting for slip options at the moment in ODI cricket.

Anyway, I don't know about the central subject of the thread, but Haddin won't be picked as a specialist batsman IMO. Australia's top 7 is pretty set for the WC now I'd say. The only thing that might change is the specific order.

Haddin may be there as backup and play in case of injury, but that's all.

[Matt79]

Originally Posted by FaaipDeOiad

Watson and White are both fine slip fielders at domestic level. There's also Hussey and Hayden, as well as Ponting. I don't think Australia are desperately wanting for slip options at the moment in ODI cricket.

Haddin may be there as backup and play in case of injury, but that's all.

All true, I guess the thought was more triggered by the "concerns about Haddin's ability to hold his own in the field" comment than any thoughts we needed him in the team to bolster the slip cordon. And the general question is one that has occurred to me in the past, but I've never seen anything to answer it.

[deeps]

it'd be very hard for them and very detrimental to their keeping imo.

[steds]

Originally Posted by deeps

it'd be very hard for them and very detrimental to their keeping imo.

If they were trying to do both at the same time, yes.

[Richard]

Alec Stewart was for the most part an excellent slipper, although he, obviously, was the other way around. Same thing true of Sangakkara and ABdeV.

Simple fact is, most wicketkeepers don't need to try.

It must be incredibly odd, though, for a wicketkeeper (such as Matthew Prior, Moin Khan, Tim Ambrose, Dinesh Karthik) to stand around in the field when you get promoted as a specialist-batsman.

And on that subject: is Mahendra Dhoni really a better wicketkeeper than Karthik?

[shortpitched713]

Originally Posted by Richard

And on that subject: is Mahendra Dhoni really a better wicketkeeper than Karthik?

No.

And for the original question I would assume that keepers could become excellent slip fielders as well as excellent fielders in positions where quick reflexes are important ie. short leg, silly point etc. May not be so good fielding in the deep as they tend to vary in flat out speed.

[Richard]

Originally Posted by shortpitched713

No.

I didn't think so so it really baffles me that when they play together, Dhoni keeps!

[Goughy]

Very suprised noone has mentioned AB de Villiers. He isnt a batsman that can keep. He is a wicketkeeper batsman.

However, with Boucher in the team he has fielded all over and is an excellent slipper

[Richard]

Shame on me, really...

He's just such an all-round sportsman that he's always going to be out-of-place in that he's not doing something...

[Goughy]

Originally Posted by Richard

Shame on me, really...

He's just such an all-round sportsman that he's always going to be out-of-place in that he's not doing something...

Nice EDIT

[Goughy]

Originally Posted by Richard

I didn't think so so it really baffles me that when they play together, Dhoni keeps!

I dont know too much about Indian cricket so this is purely a hypothesis.

If Karthik is generally regarded as a better keeper than Dhoni
and Dhoni keeps when they both play
Couldnt it be because they consider Dhoni's batting is less affected by keeping than Karthik's? and there for it could make sense to have Dhoni keeping as you lose less in the batting.

Pure speculation, but Im trying to think of potential reasons why the inferior keeper would keep.

[16 tins of Spam]

Bryan Young is a good example of a keeper who became a classy slip fielder.

[Richard]

Originally Posted by Goughy

Nice EDIT

Did I edit it? Can't remember...

Did said edit change what you were going to say?

Originally Posted by Goughy

I dont know too much about Indian cricket so this is purely a hypothesis.

If Karthik is generally regarded as a better keeper than Dhoni
and Dhoni keeps when they both play
Couldnt it be because they consider Dhoni's batting is less affected by keeping than Karthik's? and there for it could make sense to have Dhoni keeping as you lose less in the batting.

Pure speculation, but Im trying to think of potential reasons why the inferior keeper would keep.

The only other thing I can think of is that Dhoni is certain of a place, Karthik isn't, and they don't want to disrupt Dhoni's role by handing him the gloves, relieving him of them, handing them back, etc. It never does a wicketkeeper-batsman much good to have the "would he be better without the gauntlets" whispers everywhere. Nor does it do much good how they end-up being viewed - as poor old Alec Stewart discovered, some people just don't like to accept someone as a wicketkeeper-batsman if their specialist-bat average was higher.

[chaminda_00]

Sangakkara not a very good slipper, they tired and it hasn't worked. He takes the odd good catch, but seems to drop a lot when his not got the gloves. We he drops the odd one with the gloves to. I think it depends on player, Sri Lanka also tried Tharanga in the slips, he kept at youth level before a knee injury, and he struggled. Some players are good behind the stumps, in the slips and in the outfield, other aren't.