Catchers 'UP-CLOSE'
How effective would India's spin quartet of the 60s
and 70s, the lethal West Indian fast bowlers of the
70s and 80s and their Australian counterparts of
the 90s and new millennium have been, without the
support of close-in catchers?
I am inclined to answer in the negative.
Until the 60s, India was known for producing
'featherbeds' on which batsmen made hay. Subhash
Gupte, Ghulam Ahmed and Vinoo Mankad, India's three
great spinners of the 50s, did their best on such
pitches, but were hampered by the lack of
'close-in' support. They would have probably taken
as many wickets as the greats of the 70s, had
fielders like Ajit Wadekar, Eknath Solkar, Abid Ali
and S. Venkataraghvan been around.
These men provided outstanding 'close-in' support
to Bedi, Prasanna, Chandrasekhar and Venkataraghvan
(as great a bowler as he was a 'catcher'!). The
success of these fielders was in no small measure
due to 'Tiger' Pataudi, India's captain for most of
the 60s, under whose leadership these players made
their debuts. He was quick to realize during his
tenure that the only way India could win Tests at
home was by preparing turning wickets and
supporting the high-quality spinners who had
emerged on the scene. A brilliant fielder himself,
he led by example and inspired his boys to become
better fielders. It was under 'Tiger's captaincy
that the Indians honed their close-in fielding
skills and made them a vital part of their arsenal.
There was a proliferation of outstanding
slip-catchers in the 70s and 80s. The Chappell
brothers, Tony Greig, Ian Botham, Clive Lloyd,
Vivian Richards and Gordon Greenidge helped Lillee,
Thomson, Holding, Roberts, Marshall and Willis
become successful, and feared speedsters.
Never mind the slips, gully, point and the others,
'forward short-leg' (and on the opposite side,
silly point) is one of the most critical fielding
positions.
Close-in fielders have their adrenalin generated by
a feeling of 'superiority'. One needs courage to be
able to stand in what is still referred to as the
'suicidal' position. Not surprisingly, most players
are reluctant to stand there, considering that one
is at a far greater risk of getting injured, than
in any other position. While there is a certain
amount of risk involved, the batsman is able to
take it easy either. He is always conscious of
someone crouching right next to him. The proximity
of fielders can be unnerving, and for some, even
scary.
Another reason why close-in fielders need to be
mentally tough is because theirs is basically a
thankless job. With the passage of time, how many
people remember the half-chances that were
converted into catches to make bowlers like
Muralitharan and Warne the leading wicket-takers?
How many people actually remember the superlative
catches taken by Solkar or Tillekaratne, which made
the incoming batsman think twice before playing the
ball?
Close-in fielders are generally enthusiastic, eager
and at times, anxious to display their skills in
situations when the batsman is careful, tentative
and hence, at his most vulnerable. They are also by
and large, aggressive. They have to be. Their
aggressive body-language is what a new batsman
should encounter immediately after arriving at the
wicket. The fielder should display alacrity in
whatever he does, from going for a catch to picking
up the ball after the batsman has played a
defensive shot! The batsman should always be made
to feel that there is someone close by, who is
waiting to capitalize on the slightest error that
he commits.
Most close-in catchers can easily be classified as
extroverts, who enjoy being in the forefront of
anything they do, on or off the field. They are
fearless, gutsy and above all, great team-men.
After all, aren't they risking their lives and
reputation for the benefit of the bowler and the
team?