The cricketing world has grown accustomed to brazen athleticism on the field – but without Jonty Rhodes, that wouldn’t be the case…
One would be spoilt for choice when asked to name the best fielder in the world. Shadab Khan? Martin Guptill? Steve Smith? Ben Stokes? Ravindra Jadeja? Rewind 20 years or so and the answer was fairly straightforward: Jonty Rhodes. The South African redefined fielding for an entire generation by performing at a level that was previously unheard of. More importantly, he was innovative and willing to step away from the norm. He was able to understand what all great pioneers do: Introducing something game-changing often leaves the world scratching its heads.
His fielding is highly regarded and yet, people underestimate his batting ability. Having scored almost 6000 for South Africa during his career at an average of 35, Jonty Rhodes may not have set the world alight – but coupled with the runs he saved on the field, his contributions proved invaluable. He also heightened the importance of the backward point position. From taking blinders in the region to infamously running out Inzamam-ul-Haq in 1992, he made the role his own. The dive Jonty executed is an iconic picture to this day. A turning point in cricketing history, if you may.
We're into the Round of 16 of @bira91's @cricketworldcup Greatest Moments!
The first candidate in today's vote is Jonty Rhodes' flying run-out of Inzamam-ul-Haq at the 1992 World Cup!
Cast your vote here: https://t.co/g10dkZJFiE pic.twitter.com/vKqmwnGHMn
— ICC (@ICC) April 24, 2019
Simply put, Jonty Rhodes gave feet to a movement that has now taken centre stage. As early as eight years ago, when my own cricketing pursuits were manifesting, I saw players picked at junior levels because they were good batsmen or bowlers. Fielding was seen as a bonus rather than a requirement. Within Pakistan’s cricketing set-up, someone like Nasir Jamshed would be a prime example. He may have batted better than his counterparts at the time, but a string of dropped catches in the 2015 World Cup cost his side dearly. Given that they occurred at crucial junctures, one could argue that Pakistan may not have faced a similar fate otherwise.
In 2019, just the fact that Ben Stokes’ catch against South Africa needed to be argued for as the best of the World Cup – let alone of all time, illustrates a shift in emphasis. It’s not a plus anymore; fielding is a bare necessity. Brilliant efforts aren’t rarities; they’re regular occurrences. The incorporation of statistics and data analytics in the game has further reinforced the importance of fielding. Even so, the blueprint on winning games through sharp fielding was out on the field two decades ago.
#OnTheDay in 1992, Jonty Rhodes wowed the world with something that cricket fans had never seen before https://t.co/tNPBBNjntY pic.twitter.com/TTvKUgX64K
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) March 8, 2019
His name was Jonty Rhodes. The South African legend is, by all means, a revolutionary. Without his vitality, fielding wouldn’t have undergone the reformation it was crying out for – and we would’ve been deprived of the incredibly athletic moments we’ve witnessed in recent years. For that alone, he probably isn’t celebrated by cricketing faithful as much as he should be. However, for the likes of me, he’s nothing short of a genius.