Jonty Rhodes, the fielding coach of Mumbai Indians, said he aims to make the best out of every MI player. “I cannot make everyone into a Jonty Rhodes. All I try is get the best out of a Kieron Pollard, Munaf Patel and same with all other MI fielders.''
Excerpts from an interview:
How much has fielding changed in ODI and T20?
In Test cricket catches have always been important, usually in the slip area, but in ODIs and specifically in T20, the focus has shifted to defending the boundary area. Initially, backward point was a crucial area. I have never played an IPL match. It was the first summer of T20 cricket in England in 2003. After the first three overs I asked my captain at Gloucestershire, Mark Alleyne, to move me from backward point to mid-wicket or long-on because the ball was going to those areas. That's my focus with the MI now. A lot of my preparation is on how do we defend the boundaries?
These days the batsmen try to hit the ball over long-on, long-off. The MI idea is, if we can't catch, (we) save the six. I think the skills have improved dramatically.
Would you say the fielders have overcome the fear factor of getting ?
There are not too many fielders in IPL who have come off because of injuries. The players pick up injuries while practising. I like to practise in a match situation; I keep it very short and sweet for five to six minutes and simulate a match-intensity situation. Even in India where the fields are quite hard, when you dive 100 per cent for taking a catch or save, you actually do less damage, than doing it half-heartedly. If you have not gone at full speed to keep the momentum, you can pick up an injury. Kieron Pollard is a massive guy and when he throws himself he does it full-heartedly.
So every fielding position has become crucial for T20?
Yes. There's no place to hide. The kind of shots they play, the batsmen try to find a weak area of the fielding side. I try and make sure that not a single MI player stands out as a weakling. Your fielding unit is only as strong as your weakest guy. As a fielder you have to be comfortable when the ball comes to you and you deliver the job.
It's not anymore the case of a batsman giving fielding and catching practice and the use of rollers for practising drills?
The importance of the MI set-up is that the owners have made sure that the team has the full support staff to play the best cricket. When we travel, we have a team of 11 support staff to play on the field. MI has left no stone unturned. I have never grown up with a fielding coach; I played football, hockey, tennis and playing all sports combined made me a good fielder. Now most teams have a specific fielding coach and this has been the true success of the IPL.
Last year Pollard produced some great saves in the deep. Is height a factor in the deep?
There are not many in IPL who are as tall as Pollard. There's David Warner with Delhi Daredevils. He's awesome on the boundary; he's not 6'4 or 6'5, but he's quick on the ball; AB de Villers is the same thing. It's not just the height; it's the ability to combine the speed and the act of timing while defending the ball. Pollard has been the man apart in that department. He's tall, athletic and is not scared to throw his body around.
There was a remarkable change in MI's fielding last year. Would you say it can only get better this year?
We had a few injuries in the Champions League, so we had a lot of young guys in the team. Sachin (Tendulkar) was not there, but Harbhajan was there setting the standard as captain. A lot of senior guys will be back this time; it's going to be interesting to make sure that they carry on with the youngsters.
