“Catches win you matches”. Fielding in cricket is not only about stopping the ball, it’s about creating opportunities for wickets, pressurizing the opponents, and saving runs for the team. Emphasis on fitness and diet has further raised the bar of fielding standards. Furthermore, every catch awards the bowler with a wicket, hence, every catch is a boost to the confidence of a bowler. The team fielding should not be the reason for the decreased confidence of bowlers. Efforts of the bowlers go in vain, when, a catch drops. Hence, catches have always been an essential art of fielding. Some great fielders with a maximum number of catches are listed below.
1. Mahela Jayawardene
The former Sri Lankan captain holds the record for the most number of catches in International cricket. In a career spanning over eighteen years, Jayawardene represented Sri Lanka in 448 ODIs, 149 tests, and 55 T20Is. He took 448 catches in his career with an outstanding average of 0.572 catches per inning.
2. Ricky Ponting
The World Cup Winning captain of Australia, Ricky Ponting, represented his country from 1995 to 2012. Often referred to as the captain of the “Golden Era” of Australian Cricket, Ponting was an excellent fielder; his batting and fielding helped Australia pass the winning line on several occasions. Ponting took 364 catches across all formats with an impeccable average of 0.507 catches per innings.
3. Ross Taylor
The former New Zealand captain, Ross Taylor, was his country’s leading run scorer in ODIs and Tests. In a career spanning over seventeen years, Taylor represented his country across 236 ODIs, 112 Tests, and 102 T20Is. In his career, Taylor took 351 catches with an exceptional average of 0.642 catches per innings.
4. Jacques Kallis
The best all-rounder of all time, Kallis has been the backbone of South African middle-order batting. Furthermore, he led the South African from the front. Kallis had been the consistent performer South Africa needed at times of need; he completed 338 catches in 328 ODIs, 257 T20Is, and 166 tests with an average of 0.509 catches per innings while playing for twenty years for the South African national team.
5. Rahul Dravid
Popularly known as “The Wall,” Rahul Dravid, was one of India’s gems. The former Indian captain holds the record for facing the most number of balls in test cricket in International cricket. Dravid represented India in 344 ODIs and 164 Tests in his career spanning over seventeen years. Dravid completed 334 catches in 571 innings with an average of 0.584 catches per innings.
6. Stephen Fleming
The former New Zealand captain, Fleming, was his country’s best batsman of his generation. Known for his efficient tactics, Fleming has been the longest-serving and most successful captain of the New Zealand cricket team; being a prolific slip fielder, Fleming took 306 international catches with an average of 0.637. Fleming represented his country for 15 years in 111 tests and 280 ODIs.
7. Virat Kohli
One of the best batters of his generation, Virat has earned accolades from the legends for his aggression and classic batting technique. In the last ten years, Virat has proven himself as a batsman and an excellent fielder contributing to the team. Virat has played 274 ODIs, 115 T20Is, and 109 tests. Virat’s agility on the field helped India get past the victory lines; he completed 292 catches with an average of 0.505 catches per inning.
8. Graeme Smith
At 22, Smith was South Africa’s youngest appointed captain of cricket. A prolific opener for South Africa, Smith led the team through hardships. Under his leadership, South Africa became the best traveling team and won a record 54 consecutive tests. A constant at first slip, Smith took 292 catches across 454 innings with an average of 0.643 catches per innings. He represented South Africa in 197 ODIs, 117 tests, and 33 T20Is in international cricket.
9. Mark Waugh
For any player who made cricket pleasurable to the eyes, Mark Waugh was one of them. Waugh’s ability to cut, pull, loft, and drive shots was so effortless and that it made him a terror for the bowlers. Apart from being an excellent batter, his fielding skills helped him execute acrobatic catches and run-outs. In a career spanning over fourteen years, Mark completed 289 catches with an outstanding average of 0.5498 catches per inning across 244 ODIs and 128 tests.
10. Steven Smith
The former Australian Captain has drawn comparisons to Bradmann for his incredible batting average in test cricket. The best batter of the modern era, Steve started his career as a leg spinner; along with batting, fitness contributed to his success as a great fielder. In his career, he represented Australia in 142 ODIs, 100 tests and 63 T20Is. Smith completed 285 catches in 395 innings in international cricket with an unmatchable average of 0.721 catches per innings; he would add more to the list if he continued this average.
