Published: Mar 25, 2011, 11:27 AM (IST)
Edited: Mar 18, 2014, 01:16 PM (IST)
By Vinay Anand
The World Cup is half way at the quarter-final stage. And this is the stage where there is little margin for errors in fielding. One missed catch could mean the end of the World Cup campaign.
Pakistan defeated the West Indies by 10 wickets at Dhaka on Wednesday in the first quarter-final. They might have survived in the competition with their bowling, but their fielding is below par. Pakistan has never been a great fielding side and there are no signs of improvement so far in this World Cup. Truth be said, there is not one name in their team who can be said to be a good fielder. This could cost them ahead.
The same story goes for India. Their weak bowling attack suffers further because of a fielding side that doesn’t distinguish itself. Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina, two young stalwarts, are unquestionably brilliant. Yuvraj is good, without quite being the fielder he was when he was much fitter. But that’s about it. It’s an ageing Indian team, and it clearly shows in their legs. No wonder skipper Dhoni has repeatedly said that he cannot do much with the Indian team fielding. It’s a veiled reference to the ageing seniors.
India could have beaten England as they had to defend a mammoth 338. Yet they had to settle for a tie. Against South Africa, there were regular fielding lapses which led to a defeat in the last over. Even in the game against West Indies, India were a lethargic fielding unit, though they fielded their best in the championship against Australia – a key factor in their winning the crunch game
Sri Lanka too are an average fielding side. Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakratne Dilshan are excellent fielders while the younger lot like Angelo Matthews, Chamara Silva and Thissira Perera are reliable.
England are generally an excellent fielding side, but the standards have dropped in this tournament. The body language of the bowlers has not been impressive and that has affected the fielding as well. Andrew Strauss gets nervous in crunch situations and thus not been able to inspire his team. Hopefully, the presence of Eoin Morgan could improve the English fielding when they face Sri Lanka in Colombo.
New Zealand, South Africa and Australia continue to have the best fielders in world cricket. The Black Caps have always put emphasis on their fielding, and it pays off in crunch games. When they face an in-form South Africa, whose performances with the bat and ball have been unquestionable, they will rely on their fielding to bridge the difference. New Zealand have made it to three semi-finals, and they well make their fourth in Dhaka.
South Africa would have an edge if they field well against the Kiwis. They have JP Duminy, AB de Villiers, Johan Botha and Faf du Plessis to make a brilliant fielding quartet.
Australia have a better fielding unit than South Africa. Ricky Ponting, the captain has been a huge inspiration on the field, despite a finger injury. Shane Watson is a reliable slip catcher alongside Cameron White. Michael Clarke and Steven Smith are geniuses in the cover and point regions respectively. The Hussey brothers, too, are good fielders in the outfield, energetic as ever. The fast bowlers, with the exception of Shaun Tait, are good. Sadly for Australia, despite Ponting’s heroic century, the team met its Waterloo at Ahmedabad against India.
(Vinay Anand, 17, has an uncanny eye for detail. He revers cricket – looking beyond the glamour into the heart of the game where true passion, perseverance and grit meet. To him, there is no greater joy than coming closer to the sport while exploring its intricacies through his writing and treading ahead to establish himself as a writer and presenter)
