Mastering the Art of Fielding: Techniques to elevate your game

Cricket is a sport that has three departments- batting, bowling and fielding. All the departments require a set of skills. Amongst these, the skill that is most important but least emphasised skills in cricket is fielding. Young players tend to spend hours and hours practicing their primary skills, that is, batting and bowling, but spend barely minutes to improve their fielding. Interestingly, it’s totally contrary in matches. In real games, players have to field for hours but there is no certainty how long they will bat/ball. It could be a few minutes or hours, but fielding is something that every player has to do. Hence, with this third skill, one can get an additional advantage over their competitors. A good fielder knows how to drive the game and create pressure on the opponent team. Hence, the importance of fielding should never be undermined. 
If you want to become a good cricketer and play at the highest level. It is very important to work hard on this third skill and today, in this blog by ZAP cricket, we will talk about different aspects that can help you to become a better fielder, so that you can make a direct cut in the playing XI! To understand better, young players should watch the videos of legends like Jonty Rhodes, Suresh Raina or Ravindra Jadeja, these players were known for their fielding before they were known for their batting of bowling. Opponents used to fear in stealing singles from their hands, such was their impact as a fielder! 

Cutting angles 

Cutting angles is very basic and we often hear Virat Kohli on how this helps him on the field. This phenomenon shall be taught by coaches to players and one can learn and adapt it with experience. To simplify what cutting angles actually mean, let’s take a situation. The batsman played a shot between deep wicket and mid-on. Now, a smart fielder will create such an angle that he’ll rush towards the ball and not adjacent to the boundary rope. In both cases his job is to stop a boundary. But in the first case, he might even get a chance to make a run out, since he’ll be grabbing the ball a few seconds earlier. But in the second case, he won’t be making any impact, since his only objective is to stop the ball. Hence, it is important to understand why cutting angles is necessary is making those crucial run outs. Not only run outs, cutting angles can help a fielder convert half chances into extraordinary catches. For better understanding, take example of best fielder in the world presently- Glenn Phillips. Not only he is super agile, but also a master in cutting angles! 

Accuracy in throws

The throws have to be quick, powerful and the fielder should take the least time to release the ball. By doing this, half chances can be converted into full runouts and then a fielder can potentially tip the scales in his/her favour. Those fielding in the inner circle can practice throws without getting up, this will save them the fraction of seconds needed to break a partnership. One thing to be kept in mind is that it’s always the minute smartness that makes a person superior to others. For example, Ravindra Jadeja takes x seconds to release the ball, and on the other hand, another player takes x+x seconds to do the same task. Now, clearly, it’s Jadeja, who has the potential to dominate the game. 

Watching the face of the bat and keeping an eye on the ball till last moment 

A fielder can react better if he/she watches the face of the bat at the time of impact. This can save him a few seconds and increase his/her ground coverage. This is the basic fundamental of fielding and shall be implemented all the time, no matter in which area you are fielding. Also, as a fielder, a player’s job is to watch the ball till they receive the ball in their palms. This can help in avoiding unnecessary fumbles. Even if the ball is a few centimetres away and you don’t watch it till the last moment, there are chances of you misfielding. Jemimah Rodrigues is an exceptional fielder, both inside and outside circle. This is because she always has her eyes on the ball till the time she receives it. Hence, young players should watch and learn from such talented elite players. 

Base up and start towards the batsman 

Baseing up when the ball impacts with the bat can help in reacting better. By base up we mean, moving towards the batsman while bowler is at the stride, and to stop for a fraction of seconds, when the bat is making impact with the ball. This can help you in reacting better and in the direction of the ball. Hence, this small action can help a player in reacting better without wasting time. Also, along with base up , it’s important to start in the direction of the batsman. This will unify all your efforts in one direction, ensuring better control and more power! 

Anticipation and commitment 

Anticipating that every ball will come in your direction is the key to becoming a tremendous fielder. Cricket is a mental game, and anticipation too is one of the many mental aspects of the game. If a fielder is anticipating, he/she is in a better state to react. If you are not anticipating, the chances of lapses go higher. No anticipating can make reaction slow and thus one can miss the chances that are coming their way. Hence, the key is to anticipate. 

Role of Fitness

Usually the fittest players are the best fielders. One of the many aspects of fielding is agility. Hence, the more agile a fielder is, the better he can react and cover the distance. For instance, Virat Kohli is considered to be the fittest player in the Indian Cricket Team. His fitness naturally makes him a better fielder. We have seen clips of him covering the distance in minimum time and taking those extraordinary sharp catches. All this is possible only because of his fitness levels. Hence, if any player is aiming to become a better fielder, they need to start devoting serious hours in training as well. Specific drills that can help in becoming a better fielder are: T drill, change of direction running,

Practicing variety of drills

Practicing a variety of drills, like, catching in slip cordons or taking high catches with different angles etc can help. The more variety you add to your regime, the sharper your body movements will be. Hence, regularly practicing a variety of fielding drills can help. One can also include stations in their fielding sessions. Like, at one station they are taking flat catches, then at next station, they are taking backward catches etc. The more variety you’ll add in your routine, the better you’ll become. Thus, do not stick to a particular drill or a particular ball to practice, add variety in your routine. For instance, take catches with tennis ball once a month, or, try catching board once in a while!

Understanding where do you field best

Understanding one’s own strengths and weaknesses can help a lot in becoming a better player. Hence, one should know where they are good at fielding. It’s not necessary that every player is comfortable fielding at every position. Hence, one needs to recognise their own potential. For example, left handed players are comfortable fielding at point, while other players might not feel the same. Similarly, some players field better within the ring and some players outside the ring. Hence, understanding your own strengths and shortcomings is also part of the process. This will make you a more aware player and that eventually will make you a street smart player, who contributes more in the time of crisis! 

Conclusion 

We tried to cover all the points that can help you enhance your game. These points are also shared by international players or elite coaches but at the same time they are also the basics of the game. Thus, the more you stick to the basics, the better you’ll do at higher level. So, try to consciously practice these points on a regular basis, be it in a match or in a practice session, and set yourself apart from the rest of the players!

FAQs

Q: Can we use fielding gloves in practice sessions?

Yes, they can save you from unnecessary injuries.

Q: Which are the best fielding gloves?

You can try ZAP fielding gloves, they are well cushioned.

Q: How many catches should we practice in a day?

It is better to focus on quality than quantity. 

Q: Can running help in improving fielding?

Yes, including change of direction drills can help in improving fielding. 

Q: Can fielding improve my hand eye coordination for batting?

Yes, fielding can improve your coordination.