Twitter user asks Dean Jones to name best fielders of current generation, he names Indian and Englishman
While catching has always been given importance in cricket, remember the old adage - catches win matches, ground fielding assumed an all new significance as teams started using specialists fielders in key positions in one day internationals to save crucial runs.
The sport of cricket and the skills associated with it have seen a sea change over the years. The biggest of them coming in the 1990s as teams cricketers started developing skills specific to shorter formats of the game. One such skills that players concentrated on was ground fielding. While catching has always been given importance in cricket, remember the old adage - catches win matches, ground fielding assumed an all new significance as teams started using specialists fielders in key positions in one day internationals to save crucial runs.
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South Africans, after their return to international cricket in the post apartheid era, made ground fielding a fashionable and the reigning deity of fielding was a diminutive bloke named Jonty Rhodes. His diving effort to run out Inzamam-Ul-Haq, in the 1992 World Cup is part of cricketing folklore now.
Ever since then all international teams have extra attention to develop the fielding skills of their cricketers and most top teams today have a specialist fielding coach.
Former Australian cricketer turned commentator Dean Jones was asked by a fan on Twitter about who he thinks are the best fielders of the current generation and Deano was clear in his answer.
Jones named India’s Ravindra Jadeja and England’s Ben Stokes. Both these all rounders are known for their ability to take outstanding catches in the deep and also save crucial runs. Anticipation is perhaps the biggest asset these two cricketers possess along with having an extremely fit physique.