If cricketers had a day named after them

7. Fielder’s Day – Jonty Rhodes (July 27):

Jonty Rhodes was always GOLD in the field. It won’t be wrong to call him as the “father of fielding”. The flying acrobats we witness in the modern day cricket are all inspired by him. Jonty changed the game in a way that no one could ever imagine. Alone with his fielding prowess, he could save 20-30 runs in the field for South Africa.

Rhodes made fielding a fascinating work of art, just when the game was picking up pace across the globe and helped in getting more youngsters interested. Who can forget his run out of Inzamam in the 1992 World Cup where he came running from backward point and swept the wickets away in a whisker, thus giving origin to the famous quote: “Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s Jonty!”

Jonty Rhodes was the only player to win a Man of the Match award for his fielding efforts which came against West Indies in 1993 at Mumbai. His five catches and numerous brilliant stops made him an instant crowd favorite. Rhodes, with his hawk eye and precise aim, made the point region his own and the blinders he pulled off are still memorable till this day.

Also read – 15 Facts about Jonty Rhodes: The greatest fieldsman ever