Ponting: Amongst the Top 5 Fielders?

[vcs]

Yeah, Chris Harris was a tremendous fielder. He was such a good all-round cricketer.

 

[Shri]

Herschelle Gibbs deserves a mention too.

 

[Sir Alex]

Pretty Katich has the run-out debate sewn up.

Wait...you're talking about whilst fielding

Lol! Even my first thoughts were the same!

 

[pasag]

Problem is Ponting's dropped a fair few in the past couple of years. No doubt an amazing fielder, but may keep him out of a top five.

 

[Dissector]

Colin Bland
Paul Collingwood
Neil Harvey
Gary Sobers
Viv Richards
Gus Logie
Roger Harper
Mark Waugh

in no particular order, all belong in this argument, as do many others probably.

Bob Simpson belongs to that list. I believe Benaud rates him as the best slip fielder ever and you can see why. Solkar and perhaps Azhar belong to the list as well.

 

[social]

Symonds is about the best I've seen - for a very big man, he is a fantastic mover with agreat pair of hands and bullet arm

However, Viv's outfielding was, as with his batting, years ahead of his time

 

[bagapath]

leaving slip fielding aside for a moment jonty, ricky, azhar (when he hasnt taken money to miss), symonds, collingwood, mahanama, viv richards should all make it to the top 10 list. ponting is a very strong candidate for a top 5 slot too.

 

[Zinzan]

leaving slip fielding aside for a moment jonty, ricky, azhar (when he hasnt taken money to miss), symonds, collingwood, mahanama, viv richards should all make it to the top 10 list. ponting is a very strong candidate for a top 5 slot too.

Interesting that you didn't list Chris Harris in with that lot, did you see much of him?

 

[Uppercut]

AB De Villiers is considerably better than anyone playing international cricket at the moment IMO. Takes catches you'd previously assumed were impossible with alarming regularity.

Symonds was insane, I've always thought Colly to be a little overrated, drops a few more than I'd expect. Ponting's faded a bit, but at his peak he was up there.

 

[Burgey]

AB De Villiers is considerably better than anyone playing international cricket at the moment IMO. Takes catches you'd previously assumed were impossible with alarming regularity.

Symonds was insane, I've always thought Colly to be a little overrated, drops a few more than I'd expect. Ponting's faded a bit, but at his peak he was up there.

de Villiers reminds me of Mark Waugh the way he catches things so effortlessly.

 

[The Sean]

Colin Bland
Paul Collingwood
Neil Harvey
Gary Sobers
Viv Richards
Gus Logie
Roger Harper
Mark Waugh

in no particular order, all belong in this argument, as do many others probably.

Good call on Bland - my Dad has always said he's the best he ever saw. O'Neil and Davidson also worth a shout going back to that era too.

Based on peer/spectator opinion, there's also a fair body of thinking that Learie Constantine was the greatest of all fieldsman.

 

[Uppercut]

Mark Waugh was insane. But I think of him as a slip catcher so he didn't really come to mind.

 

[slugger]

Regarding run out stats.. A couple weeks back I flicked off an email to stats guru (cricinfo) and asked them why there was no such statastic. I suggested that their needs to be a "run out" stat (direct hit) and an "assisted run out" (thrown to bowler or wicket keeper)

so if you throw the ball in and the bowler catches it and dislodge the bails both player recieve an "ARO" stat.

and if a player throws it to the stumps and its a direct hit the player recieves a "RO" stat

but i havent herd back from them...

 

[Streetwise]

Regarding run out stats.. A couple weeks back I flicked off an email to stats guru (cricinfo) and asked them why there was no such statastic. I suggested that their needs to be a "run out" stat (direct hit) and an "assisted run out" (thrown to bowler or wicket keeper)

so if you throw the ball in and the bowler catches it and dislodge the bails both player recieve an "ARO" stat.

and if a player throws it to the stumps and its a direct hit the player recieves a "RO" stat

but i havent herd back from them...

I have heard several commentators remark that Ponting has the most direct hits, I dont know if they keep stats different to cricinfo.

 

[Jono]

The only fielders I reckon better than Ponting I've seen are Symonds and Jonty.

Thing about Symonds though is, he was almost as good, if not just as good as Ponting and Jonty in the infield, but was better in the outfield than them both. Had a bigger arm.

So I'd probably go Symonds overall.

They're all in the top 3 I've ever seen, along with Gibbs and AB Dev.

 

[Sir Alex]

I have heard several commentators remark that Ponting has the most direct hits, I dont know if they keep stats different to cricinfo.

Mighty possible. He hits stumps with remarkable accuracy and combined with the fact he's played so many games.

 

[Streetwise]

The only fielders I reckon better than Ponting I've seen are Symonds and Jonty.

Thing about Symonds though is, he was almost as good, if not just as good as Ponting and Jonty in the infield, but was better in the outfield than them both. Had a bigger arm.

So I'd probably go Symonds overall.

They're all in the top 3 I've ever seen, along with Gibbs and AB Dev.

It is hard to go past Symonds, he is definiately the best I have seen in ODI's.

 

[Streetwise]

Mighty possible. He hits stumps with remarkable accuracy and combined with the fact he's played so many games.

Clarke is known to be Australias most accurate thrower.

 

[Jono]

If my life was on a player hitting the stumps on a throw in the heat of a match, I'd go Ponting over Clarke.

Clarke is obviously a brilliant fielder, but I reckon Ponting is better.

 

[Uppercut]

Clarke seems to miss loads lately. And by lately I mean for like, the past two years.