Best Fielding Spots in Cricket and Who Shines There

Jonty Rhodes played for South Africa. He was a right-handed batsman and bowled right-arm medium pace. His fielding at backward point became his main strength. He was quick, alert, and accurate. Many still talk about his diving stops and direct throws.

In 1993, Rhodes caught five balls in one match against the West Indies in Mumbai. That was a record at the time for most catches by a fielder in an ODI.

During the 1992 World Cup, South Africa played against Pakistan in Brisbane. Inzamam-ul-Haq tried to score a run. Rhodes ran from backward point, picked up the ball, and sprinted straight to the stumps. He broke them before the batter could reach. That run-out is still seen as one of the best moments in World Cup history.

AB de Villiers played for South Africa. He was a right-handed batsman. He also bowled medium pace and worked as a wicketkeeper. He could do many things on the field. He was fast, alert, and strong. Many players could not match his fielding. He stopped runs and caught difficult balls. He helped his team with his speed and hands.

He played his first ODI on 2 February 2005 against England. He scored 20 runs from 56 balls. The match ended in a tie. He scored his first ODI hundred against West Indies in the World Cup. He hit 146 runs from 130 balls. Later, he scored 150 runs in only 64 balls against West Indies again.

His fielding impressed fans and other players. He ran fast, jumped high, and caught balls near the boundary. His energy stayed high in every game. Many people still call him one of the best fielders in cricket.

Ricky Ponting played cricket for Australia. He was a right-handed batsman. He also bowled medium pace. He worked as the captain of the national team. Under his leadership, Australia won two World Cups — in 2003 and 2007. His team did not lose any match in the 2003 World Cup. He once said that this win was the best moment in his life.

Ponting played international cricket for 17 years. Some people called him arrogant on the field, but he won many matches. He scored more runs in Tests and ODIs than any other Australian player. In ODIs, he scored 13,704 runs in 375 games. His average was 42.04. He made 30 centuries and 82 half-centuries. His highest score in ODIs was 164 against South Africa.

Ponting was also strong in fielding. He reacted fast and stayed focused. He stopped many runs and took hard catches. Many fans still say he is one of the best fielders in the history of cricket.

Herschelle Gibbs is one of South Africa’s best cricketers. He started his career with the national team in 1990. Born in Cape Town on 23 February 1974, Gibbs quickly became known for his skill as an opening batsman. He also played in various international tournaments and in the IPL with teams like Mumbai Indians and Deccan Chargers.

Gibbs is remembered for his remarkable fielding. He was quick and alert, able to stop runs and take stunning catches. His fielding played a major role in many victories, and fans still remember his ability to turn a match with his skills on the field.

Off the field, Gibbs faced controversy. In January 2007, during a Test match against Pakistan, his racist comments were caught on a stump microphone. He was banned for two Tests after the incident, which caused a lot of media attention.

Andrew Symonds is a former cricketer from Australia. He started playing for the national team in 1998 and became an important player for Australia. Symonds was born on June 9, 1975, in Birmingham, England. He played his first ODI in 1998 and soon became one of Australia's best limited-overs players.

Symonds was a strong batsman, known for scoring many runs for his team. He was also a part-time spin bowler. Besides his batting and bowling, Symonds was recognized for his fielding. He could field in any position and was known for his ground fielding and ability to take catches.

Paul Collingwood is a former English cricketer born on May 26, 1976, in Shotley Bridge, Durham. He played for England in Tests, ODIs, and T20s. Collingwood was the captain of the England ODI team from 2007 to 2008. He was known for his skills and solid technique.

Collingwood was an all-rounder, batting right-handed and bowling medium pace. He scored 11,221 runs with an average of 34.52 and took 272 wickets with an average of 33.47. His fielding abilities are considered among the best.

At the start of his career, Collingwood was seen as a replacement. However, he made an impact in 2005, scoring his first century in Nagpur. In the 2006-07 Ashes series, he became the first English cricketer in 78 years to score a double century in Australia. His performances as an all-rounder, including a century and six wickets against Bangladesh, raised his reputation further.

Ravindra Jadeja is a famous Indian cricketer. He is an all-rounder, who bowls left-arm slow and bats left-handed in the middle order. In the 2006-07 season, he played for the West Zone in the Duleep Trophy. Jadeja is considered one of the best fielders in cricket, regularly impressing fans with his performances. He is also known as one of the top spinners today.

Jadeja made a strong impression in the 2008-09 Ranji Trophy with 42 wickets and 739 runs. This led to his selection for the ODI series later that year. He debuted internationally on February 8, 2009, in the last match of the series, scoring 60 despite India’s loss. His slow performance in the 2009 World Twenty20 contributed to India’s early exit.

In late 2009, Jadeja replaced Yusuf Pathan at No. 7 in the ODI team after Pathan’s loss of form. On December 21, 2009, Jadeja was named Player of the Match for his four wickets against Sri Lanka. During the historic 4-0 series win over Australia in February/March 2013, he took 24 wickets, including five dismissals of Australian captain Michael Clarke.

While Jadeja didn’t contribute much with the bat, his role as an all-rounder remained important. In the final Test of that series, he took seven wickets, five in the second innings. In 2013, Jadeja played a key role in India’s win in the ICC Champions Trophy. By August 2013, he was ranked No. 1 among ODI bowlers by the ICC.

Steve Smith, one of Australia’s top batsmen, started his career at Illawong Cricket Club. In his first season, he won the Junior Cricketer award twice. In 1998/99, he scored his first century with a top score of 141. He became the only player to score six centuries.

Smith is also known for his fielding skills. He has surprised both fans and opponents with his quickness and ability in the field. He made his international debut in T20 cricket against Pakistan in 2010. Australia finished as runner-up to West Indies in the 2010 ICC World Twenty20.

Smith took 11 wickets in seven matches with an average of 14.81. He was part of the IPL, playing for Rajasthan Royals, Pune Warriors India, and Rising Pune Supergiant. He led Rising Pune to the IPL 10 finals in 2017.

In 2018, Smith was banned for a year due to the ball-tampering incident in Australia’s series against South Africa. After the ban, he played his first competitive match in the Bangladesh Premier League. However, he hurt his shoulder and missed some matches. In IPL 2019, he returned and scored match-winning innings.

Suresh Raina is an Indian cricketer known for his batting and part-time off-spin bowling. He plays for Uttar Pradesh in all formats of local cricket and is recognized as one of the best fielders in cricket, especially in the IPL. Raina has been vice-captain of Chennai Super Kings and also led Gujarat Lions. He served as the Indian team captain, becoming the second-youngest player to do so.

Raina became the first cricketer to score a century in all three formats of international cricket. At 19, he debuted in ODIs against Sri Lanka. Five years later, he made his Test debut against the same team, scoring a century. Raina played a key role in India’s 2011 World Cup win.

Raina grew up in Muradnagar and moved to Lucknow in 2000 to join Guru Gobind Singh Sports College to pursue cricket. He captained Uttar Pradesh’s U-16 team and caught the attention of Indian selectors in 2002, getting selected for the U-19 England tour. During that time, he scored two half-centuries in the U-19 Test series.

Raina is also known as one of the best fielders in IPL history. At just 16 years old, he debuted in the Ranji Trophy for Uttar Pradesh against Assam. He also toured Sri Lanka with the U-17 squad in 2003 and played in the U-19 ODI Championship in Pakistan the same year. Raina’s skills continued to stand out during the U-19 World Cup in 2004.

Faf du Plessis, known as Francois du Plessis, is a well-known cricketer from South Africa. He is one of the best fielders in the sport and a dependable batsman for his team. Faf is a right-handed batsman and an occasional right-arm leg-break bowler. He plays for the South African national team in all forms of international cricket.

Faf is known for adjusting his batting style depending on the match situation. His time as captain of South Africa has helped him grow as a player. He is a middle-order batsman and plays an important role in his team. Besides playing for South Africa, he has also represented several domestic teams.

Faf has played for Northerns and Titans in South Africa. He has also played in England for Lancashire and Yorkshire. In the Big Bash League, Faf played for the Melbourne Renegades. He has been part of the IPL, representing Chennai Super Kings and Rising Pune Super Giants.

Faf played a key role for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL. In the 2018 Mzansi Super League, he made his debut for Paarl Rocks, where he was the captain and contributed with the bat. He was named Player of the Year in South Africa in 2019, which showed his consistency as one of the best batsmen in world cricket.