FILE PHOTO: South African cricket fielding coach Jonty Rhodes trains his side near Port of Spain, March 4, 2007. South Africa trained ahead of their cricket World Cup warm-up match against Ireland. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings/File Photo

From godfather to grandfather: Rhodes marvels at modern fielding

01 May 2026, 07:07 · CNA · Join

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NEW DELHI, May 1 : Jonty Rhodes, the man who made fielding fashionable, admits he is feeling his age as the agile boundary work of today's cricketers has taken the craft to a new level.

The image of an airborne Rhodes effecting a run-out at the 1992 World Cup once defined athletic fielding, but he now watches in wonder as players routinely defy physics at the rope, tossing balls to teammates mid-flight before tumbling over the boundary.

Rhodes glamorised fielding during his 11 years in international cricket, but the South African is awestruck by the current level of athleticism, especially in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).

“For a long time, I felt like the godfather of fielding. Nowadays, I definitely feel like the grandfather,” the 56-year-old quipped in a Zoom interview with Reuters.

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"The level of fielding has just gone through the roof. The evolution of fielding has been the boundary riding, and protecting the boundary."

"I keep getting told ‘Jonty, no one can touch you’, but I never left the circle," said Rhodes, whose formidable presence at backward point unnerved most batters of his era.

With batters expanding their range and bowlers their skillsets, Rhodes said fielding's evolution was inevitable.

Rhodes credited West Indian Kieron Pollard for pioneering the relay catch technique, where deep fielders toss the ball before crossing the boundary rope for a teammate to take it, or return to collect it themselves.

"We see it as routine, but the guys put in a lot of practice. It's the sexy part of fielding, let's face it, and everybody wants to be involved because it's on the highlight reels and everyone mentions it."

FIELDING IN T20 ERA

Rhodes, who has worked with several IPL franchises as a fielding coach, said he ran specific drills to fine-tune those boundary plays.

"Fielding practice was scenario practising as much as possible, and that was definitely one of the scenarios that we would work on."

He added that T20's batter-friendly nature has only heightened the value of elite fielding.

"It's not an even contest between the bat and ball. So if you're in the field, and you can take a brilliant catch, or run someone out and help your team break the partnership, that is essential."

"So many of the games come down to the last over, and oftentimes the last delivery, in T20 cricket. If each player saves one run, that's 11 runs you've got in the bag, and it makes a massive difference in that last over."

Among current fielders, Rhodes was particularly impressed by the versatility of New Zealander Glenn Phillips, whom he likened to former Proteas teammate Herschelle Gibbs.

"Herschelle Gibbs was a spectacular, one-handed catcher. I was definitely more of a guy who tried to go with two hands as much as possible. I think Herschelle was way more spectacular than me," he said.

"Glenn Phillips just does some spectacular acrobatic fielding and saves and catches in the circle and in the boundary."

From godfather to grandfather: Rhodes marvels at modern fielding

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