Cricket is often touted as a game of bat vs ball, a battle of wits between bowlers and batsmen. That said, that is not the end of the story when it comes to winning matches or tournaments, especially with the upcoming men’s t20 world cup 2024, where fielding will play a crucial role. World Cups through the decades are littered with spectacular catches, lightning run outs and breathtaking saves on the boundary. So with another Cricket World Cup looming in 2023, let us take a trip down memory lane and appreciate the best of the best high-profile fielders to have graced this global stage. Five of the Greatest Fielders in World Cup History.
- Jonty Rhodes (South Africa)
Jonty Rhodes- One simply cannot drop Jonty Rhodes from the list of all-time best fielders in World Cup version cricket. The South African rewrote the boundaries of what was considered humanly possible on a cricket field, with the eyes of fans frequently widened with disbelief as he zoomed off into the air on his way to breathe-taking catches.
Running out Inzamam-ul-Haq by flinging himself parallel to the ground against Pakistan in 1992. That photo of him levitating, his feet centimeters off the ground with the ball in his grasp just before hitting the stumps, remains in the minds of everyone that watched it. But that was just one case of Rhodes’ genius.
Swooping on the ball from point, chasing it down at cover, or patrolling the midwicket boundary, Rhodes was never far away. Not too many took to hitting the stumps more often or saving that many runs while on the field. Anticipation, a quick release and a cannon arm made Hudson a natural in the field. Rhodes revolutionized the positions of catching and throwing and set the bar for future generations of players.
- Ricky Ponting (Australia)
Having said that, Ricky Ponting perhaps was the greatest leader on field by example. The Australian skipper was the linchpin of the all-conquering team that claimed an unprecedented three-straight World Cups in 1999, 2003 and 2007. A major portion of those wins were made on the backs of simply kicking the crap out of players in the field.
The enforcer would prowl the infield, eyes fixed, ready to pounce as opportunities allowed – and Ponting was such a figure. His bullet throws shattered the stumps or sent batsmen diving for cover. Runners who challenged his arm did so at their own peril. Ponting was as bold as they came, wearing his body on his sleeve time-and-again in the name of greatness.
- Herschelle Gibbs (South Africa)
For South Africa it was the sensational run-out by Herschelle Gibbs to emulate the earlier efforts of Jonty System. An extraordinarily gifted athlete, the short right-armer patrolled the cover-point area like a panther, regularly intercepting otherwise certain boundaries with his quick first step. This not only helped him swoop in from out of nowhere and sling it in the twinkle of an eye.
Gibbs’ fielding was a game changer because he never really allowed the batsmen to breathe in peace. It wasn’t just the boundaries he saved, but the pressure he generated by sheer pace and size. Batters were forced into errors; Gibbs darting in and snatching the ball off the ground in one movement, false strokes or suicidal singles prevailing. He was the scariest infielder there ever was because his rocket throws repeatedly hit the stumps and caused chaos.
But where his ground fielding was brilliant, Gibbs’ catching was other-worldly. He had an uncanny knack for making amazing regulations sound mundane. His 90 ODI only saw him take three World Cup, but the South African produced multiple world-class blunders. But his one piece of fielding magic tops the lot – his incredible one-handed catch to dismiss Australia’s Steve Waugh in the famous 1999 Super Six match.
- Paul Collingwood (England)
Paul Collingwood is one of the most underrated fielders of the modern era and he has such a great World Cup record that this list itself can be justified. Maybe it was his all-round ability that caused his genius to be underappreciated. But Collingwood was a giant for England over four campaigns, grabbing 18 catches – seven on his way out in 2011 a record for his final tournament.
Durham’s versatility was his biggest positive. He had the athleticism, he had the technique and temperament to field at any position, and he had the selflessness to follow his team’s need. Whether prowling the slips, rushing in from backward point or stalking the midwicket boundary, Collingwood was equally confident and effective. The man who appeared to have hands made of glue as he caught catches out of thin air and who could break the stumps with unerring accuracy.
- Kieron Pollard (West Indies)
To dictate a game in the field requires a certain player. That, however, is exactly what Kieron Pollard did for the West Indies at three World Cups in 2011, 2015, and 2019. A huge and fearsome man, the Trinidadian all-rounder was an even greater force of nature, a raging storm at first-slip, a thundering hurricane coming in from the boundary to bolt his pyrotechnics on the hapless batsmen.
Pollard was a game changer because he could do what others could not. A typical case in point would be his mind-blowing jump over the rope to save a six off Australia’s Mike Hussey in 2013. Standing close to six and a half feet tall, Pollard’s telescopic reach was a massive advantage. Over and over he would thrust his bucket of a hand to intercept something that should not have been caught.
Perhaps Pollard’s World Cup will always be defined by a moment from a clash against Zimbabwe in Canberra in 2015. The West Indies were struggling at 4-35 in the case of 290 when Pollard arrived at the crease. Rather than his customary pyrotechnic batting, however, it was his fielding that first galvanized the turnaround. Operating from the point boundary, he came charging in and unleashed a laser throw to get rid of Zimbabwe skipper Elton Chigumbura.
Conclusion
Well, there are the five best fielders at the World Cups. In all, Jonty Rhodes, Ricky Ponting, Herschelle Gibbs, Paul Collingwood and Kieron Pollard left us with numerous inspiring moments on cricket’s greatest stage, and we can expect to see more incredible displays of fielding in the upcoming t20 world cup match 2024. But they were far from alone. Special mentions go to Australia’s Andrew Symonds, India’s Mohammed Kaif, Ravindra Jadeja, and even New Zealand’s Martin Guptill among a few others.