Jonty for fielding coach??

[pie_chucker]

According to cricinfo Jonty Rhodes is one of the favourites to become our new fielding coach.

Cricinfo - Rhodes tipped as fielding coach

IMO this would be a good choice, but more to the point i cant believe we dont have a fielding coach.

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

Should they need one ? Blimey if you cant catch a ball in your twenties when are you going to ? Practice practice practice by all means but a designated fielding coach I'm not sure about. Surely Moore should be doing this ? If not what is he coaching as every other dept will have specialists too.

[Navdeep]

Can't see why this would cause bother, yeah some might say it's not needed, but when you see some of the fielding out there in real time games, the run out chances, catching, stumping even, sometimes is wayward, and someone with the class and experience of Rhodes should provide the right kind of help.

[Rachael]

Originally Posted by Richie Benauds Love Child

Should they need one ? Blimey if you cant catch a ball in your twenties when are you going to ?

Fielding techniques go well beyond "catching": appraising the situation ahead of the delivery (so you know who's going to be backing up each end, whether the batsmen are likely to attempt a suicidal single and so on); reading the shot (anticipating the flight of the ball); movement (forward prior to the delivery, then split step, then to the right kind of intercept: high percentage where no run-out possibility exists, higher risk where potential rewards are greater); pick-up (which hand, what body position: ideal for stopping or for throwing? Headfirst dive or foot-first dive) and release (do you release immediately to dissuade the batsman from taking a single, irrespective of acccuracy... or gather and steady.. do you spin through 270 to build momentum into the throw... or spin 90 the other way... and when time allows... do you change hands, run with the ball, flick up for a colleague, throw on the full (preserve the shine), on the bounce (flatter) or on the double bounce / via a relay player.

That's just off the top of my head: Australia's specialist catching coach (an American baseball coach) would doubltess offer far more... including lots on parrying ready to catch, adjusting for rebounds off fellow slips and reacting on the follow-through for a caught and bowled or a run out.

Collingwood is outstanding... but England have other potentially outstanding fielders in Bell, Bopara, Dalrymple, Strauss, Pietersen and (when he finally takes up his rightful place int he covers) Prior - and the best throwing arm in cricket in Simon Jones! All of these need work to reach the level of Symonds, Ponting and Clark... and guys like Panesar and Cook need a LOT of work!

[darksideofthemoon]

I think England are the worst fielding side in ODIs. Some of the fielders are not very fast when it comes to chasing, hardly anyone hits the stumps, poor throwing arms etc it is just embarrassing. They try their hardest but Rhodes would have to be a miracle worker.

Monty 3
Shah 2
Cook 3
Collingwood 9 (doesn't hit the stumps often enough for the 10)
Pietersen 5
Bell 4
Prior 4
Plunkett 5
Yardy 4
Mascarenhas 4
Sidebottom 4
Flintoff 7
Solanki 8
Troughton 8
RClarke 7
Blackwell 4
Dalrymple 6
Trescothick 5
Ponting 10
Symonds 9
Clarke 9
Tait 1
Harmison 2
Hoggard 3
Lewis 3
Gibbs 9
Joyce 1
Kaneria 1

[Rachael]

Originally Posted by darksideofthemoon

I think England are the worst fielding side in ODIs.

I'd agree that on a scale of 1-10... Symonds, Ponting and Clarke hit at least 9 for out-fielding... whereas only Collingwood and Dalrymple are in that class for England. On the other hand, Bell, Pietersen and Solanki are all in the 8s (or at least bordering on that level) and Strauss is at least a 6-7. Bopara ought to get mentioned as well: notable fielder.

Though not in quite the same class, Harmison is also notable (for a bowler) and Simon Jones is possibly the best boundary-patroller since Chris Lewis. Moreover, in terms of slip catching, Tresco and Flintoff are in the 8-9 range... and if Read were restored behind the stumps, England would have the best international gloveman as well!

The obvious 1st XI weak links are just Cook (young), Monty (ditto) and the sorry excuse for a gloveman. To these you can add assorted reserve players... led by one Sajid Mahmood... who really is just plain appalling