Why does Australian fielding fail nowadays?

[Spark]

Where did it all go so wrong?

 

[Son Of Coco]

Think it's partially a confidence thing myself. When you're under the pump in other areas maybe it affects your fielding. Although it didn't seem to matter when we had a team of very good players.

Perhaps less focus on it in practice?

 

[Furball]

Game situation. You're simply not going to be as switched on when the opposition is 380/1 and the game's meandering to a draw on day 5.

 

[Spark]

But it's not just that. We are a genuinely much worse fielding side than before. I would say that there are only four really "very good" fielders in the side - Ponting, Hussey, Clarke, North. Ponting we know about. Hussey is outstanding at gully (although not quite as good as he once was). Clarke is also oustanding at cover/point but not at slips as IMO he's late to pick up the ball off the bat against pace. North is very sharp and a good 3rd slip but IIRC struggled at first. Not to mention that he shouldn't be in the side.

That leaves Watson at first, and you just have to see the way he took the catch in the 1st innings to see why I don't rate him.

The rest of our side are OK or not great. Johnson is a good fielder but misses a few catches (not just yesterday, either). Siddle, Hilfenhaus are workmanlike but not much more than that.

 

[Athlai]

Not enough heart. Doesn't run in hard all day. Etc. etc.

 

[Johnners]

Have no problem with our fielding aside from Slips. We have no genuine slippers in the team imho, unlike the days of Waugh/Taylor/Warne.

 

[Blocky]

Well, they lost two very good slips (Warne and Langer) as well as a great gully (Hayden) all at the same time. Their most dynamic fielders are either old (Ponting, Hussey) or broken (Clarke) and guys like Mitchell Johnson are so mentally poor at the moment that everything they do has doubt in it.

 

[Tom 1972]

We have gotten worse. The competition has improved.

Look at India & Sri Lanka, in general very good fielding sides IMHO. South Africa have been good for quite a while.

Plus, we're chasing more leather generally, in the past year or two. Probably for a decade we seldom went a session without taking a few wickets. Batsmen are looking to score, not just survive against Warne & McGrath so the gaps are opening up.

 

[vcs]

We have gotten worse. The competition has improved.

Look at India & Sri Lanka, in general very good fielding sides IMHO. South Africa have been good for quite a while.

Plus, we're chasing more leather generally, in the past year or two. Probably for a decade we seldom went a session without taking a few wickets. Batsmen are looking to score, not just survive against Warne & McGrath so the gaps are opening up.

Think we're an underrated catching side though, TBF to ourselves.

 

[TumTum]

Indian Test team ain't that bad. IPL is a total joke though.

 

[Uppercut]

Because the players in the team now aren't as good at fielding as the ones that were in the team four years ago?

 

[Uppercut]

But it's not just that. We are a genuinely much worse fielding side than before. I would say that there are only four really "very good" fielders in the side - Ponting, Hussey, Clarke, North. Ponting we know about. Hussey is outstanding at gully (although not quite as good as he once was). Clarke is also oustanding at cover/point but not at slips as IMO he's late to pick up the ball off the bat against pace. North is very sharp and a good 3rd slip but IIRC struggled at first. Not to mention that he shouldn't be in the side.

Katich?

 

[Prince EWS]

Think we're an underrated catching side though, TBF to ourselves.

India have a pretty good fielding side in Tests. It's just about holding your catches at Test level really, and India do it pretty well. Don't confuse their lack of athleticism and ground fielding skills in ODIs with poor Test fielding - as you said, they have a good catching side.

 

[Spark]

Forgot him. Yeah, he's a solid fielder. Probably not quite as good as those four though, not quite as agile from what I've seen.

 

[Prince EWS]

Have no problem with our fielding aside from Slips.

Pretty big problem though. It's not like you have numerous chances offered up to square leg.

 

[vcs]

India have a pretty good fielding side in Tests. It's just about holding your catches at Test level really, and India do it pretty well. Don't confuse their lack of athleticism and ground fielding skills in ODIs with poor Test fielding - as you said, they have a good catching side.

Yep, agree we have some good catchers in the side. Laxman rarely drops any, Dravid despite his recent woes has been a reliable pair of hands, Dhoni is a solid keeper and our close-in fielders to the spinners have very sharp reflexes. But athleticism is certainly a facet of fielding to be considered in rating fielding sides IMO, NZ were saving 30 runs per innings on average in the recent series for example. It helps to build pressure, keep new batsmen on strike and good fielding often makes a big difference in successfully executing a disciplined bowling plan when set batsmen are at the crease.

 

[Spark]

Yeah agree. England saved at least 20-30 runs in our innings from cover drives.

 

[Prince EWS]

Yep, agree we have some good catchers in the side. Laxman rarely drops any, Dravid despite his recent woes has been a reliable pair of hands, Dhoni is a solid keeper and our close-in fielders to the spinners have very sharp reflexes. But athleticism is certainly a facet of fielding to be considered in rating fielding sides IMO, NZ were saving 30 runs per innings on average in the recent series for example. It helps to build pressure, keep new batsmen on strike and good fielding often makes a big difference in successfully executing a disciplined bowling plan when set batsmen are at the crease.

I think that sort of fielding is vastly over-rated in Tests cricket. You can have a team full of the most athletic ball-stoppers in the world but they'll still only save about 20-40 runs a Test innings through ground fielding at most (and I think even this is quite exaggerated, but I'll give it to you), and if they dropped one catch it could cost them 200 runs. If you have a team whereby everyone is a good catcher in the position they're fielding in, it's a good Test fielding unit, IMO.

I think nine Laxmans would save more runs in Test cricket than nine Clarkes.

 

[Spark]

This discussion is irrelevant, clearly nine Pontings will save 100 runs less than everyone else (four slips catches, three blinders in covers/point, one in the deep and two run outs)

 

[Uppercut]

Ponting's nothing special in the field anymore.