World's best fielding team ??

[JLC]

Aussies caught short in field
By Robert Craddock
January 3, 2004

MAYBE it's just bad luck. Maybe it's because Australia have remodelled their slips cordon. Maybe it's just the pressure.

Whatever the reason Australia have succumbed to a rare dose of butter fingers in their Test series against India and it is threatening to prove decisive.

As of yesterday Australia had missed 11 chances in the four Tests and each one was a tiny arrow in the heart for a team missing several frontline bowlers.

"We haven't fielded our best today and we didn't field our best on the first day of the Boxing Day Test match and you can probably recall other instances through the series so far," Australian coach John Buchanan said yesterday.

"We set standards that we're not living up to at the moment."

Simon Katich dropped his second regulation catch in two Tests when he had two unsuccessful grabs at a thick edge from Akash Chropra off Brett Lee. India have missed only three chances, another trend-breaking occurrence in a summer of many for Indian teams historically not blessed with the game's greatest fielding sides.

For many years Australia led the world in fielding and catching with Mark Taylor holding the Test catching record before being eclipsed by Mark Waugh. The absence of Waugh and the suspended Shane Warne from the slips cordon has not helped.

The Australian team does not train as hard as it used to but this may not necessarily correlate to poor infield catching. Former champion slipper Greg Chappell was one who did not believe that taking a huge number of catches on the training paddock helped him on match day in the slips.

He once said: "On match day I would take a few slips catches and waited until it felt right but then I'd get out of there before I started dropping them and wondering where I was going wrong."

There have been times over the past decade when Australia's bowlers were so on song that the slips fieldsmen were on red alert every ball. This summer has brought a different challenge.

The Daily Telegraph

[JLC]

I think Australia has slipped a little in the field but then maybe thats because such a high standard had been set in the past ??

Australia really miss Warne in the slips area as this would allow Ponting to field in the covers if he so wished or Hayden to move to gully.

The injuries to McGrath who was an excellent fielder for his size, Taylor one of the finest slips fieldsman ever, Mark Waugh a fielding genius and Warne who has been injured have left a big hole in the team.

However im not sure who would take Australias mantle ?? The only team i can think of is South Africa ??

jlc

[commonwombat]

Australia has appreciably declined in this facet due to age etc but will still rate no.1. For most of the 90's South Africa would have rated near enough to line ball with Australia in the field but likewise has dropped off. Would still rate no.2.

Sub-continent teams tend to be inconsistent at best in the field and WI have became v shoddy ( would would Lloyd and Viv be thinking?). NZ is generally competent, England variable. A team that has always been quite smart surprisingly enough has been Zimbabwe esp in ODI.

[couragous cloke]

i think we (windies) are probably 1 of the worst fielding teams at the minute, its so frustrating to watch. lol the only guy who doesnt drop it is the captain.

[JLC]

Warnie cant come back soon enough

jlc

[JLC]

Who are the best fielders outside of the teast team at present ??

I would say Symonds and maybe Ian Harvey ??

Any other nominations ??

I think its very important that a players fielding ability is taken to consideration or at least if not up to scratch it is addressed. For example Boony made his close in position an art form and turned a negative re his fielding into a positive. Tubby Taylor did the same.

jlc

[CQ]

ha ur friend symonds eh JLC

we've been shit lately. too much bludging around, they just assume theyre going to win, which they arent if they dont take catches!

[CQ]

btw i forgot to say that yes i agree symonds is a great fielder!

[JLC]

Deano has blasted the Australian team saying they dont train hard enough in the field. Apparently some of them have been VERY lazy at training.

He thinks the likes of Simpson and Border were much more effective when taking training and hitting catches.

jlc

[couragous cloke]

Might i add that the aussies catching won them the game last night!