Cricket News
Top five best slip fielders of cricket history
Fielding is one of the most undervalued and underappreciated aspects of cricket, as numerous experts and pundits have noted. The adage “Catches Win Matches” is used by all. It is therefore acceptable to assume that every team needs strong fielders who can play the hardest of the hardest positions on the cricket pitch.
But, arguably, one of the hardest responsibilities is fielding in the slips. Given how quickly the ball arrives, slip fielders must always be at their best. Often, slip cordons for captains include their finest slip fielders. World-class slip fielders like Joe Root, Rahul Dravid, and Mark Waugh have all been present over the years.
Taking a look at the top five best slip fielders of all-time
5) Steve Smith
Steve Smith
Steve Smith is an expert at slip fielding, there is no denying it. In his career, the Australian stalwart has made seemingly impossible slip catches appear deceptively simple. It is difficult for batters to get by him and score runs because of his accuracy and attention to detail on the field.
The athlete, who was born in New South Wales, has made 95 appearances for his country’s national side and has played 181 innings. With these fielding statistics, he is ranked fifth among Australian cricketers in terms of total catches across all formats.
4) Mahela Jayawardene
Mahela Jayawardene
The former captain of Sri Lanka excelled at slip-catching. Jayawardene, who fields primarily in the first or second slip, has the second-highest number of catches (205) for a non-keeper in Tests and the most in ODIs (218).
He was incredibly focused and skilled in the slides. He also managed his men fairly well, keeping a tight watch on things because he was Sri Lanka’s captain for a considerable amount of time. Mahela Jayawardene has taken the most catches overall for a non-keeper (440) across all formats.
3) Ricky Ponting
Ponting
Ricky Ponting is without a doubt Australia’s most successful fielder, having recorded 364 catches in all formats. He was a player who refused to make concessions and had high expectations for himself. His signature positions were the backward point in limited-overs and the second slip in tests. Ponting’s position in the slips made it extra challenging to get past him. He is thus unquestionably among the game’s top slip fielders.
2) Rahul Dravid
Dravid
In his early years, Rahul Dravid kept wickets, therefore slip fielding wasn’t a particularly challenging task for him. But, it was still entertaining to watch how he fielded in the slip cordon. He was very focused and had quick reflexes.
His accomplishments in the slips are no little accomplishment. He has 210 catches, which is the most by a non-keeper in Test history. In all forms of cricket, he is one of five players (listed fourth) with more than 300 catches.
1) Mark Waugh
Mark Waugh
Due to his accuracy and focus, Mark Waugh would seldom let anything by him. For the course of his career, he never moved from his position in the slips. He finished a strong slip cordon with Ricky Ponting, Shane Warne, and Mark Taylor.
In a career spanning 128 Test matches, Mark Waugh took 181 catches. The number of catches that went down or beyond him, rather than the number he made, was what mattered. He rarely made any drops. The only time he ever dropped three consecutive catches was during his final Test series against Pakistan.
