Mark Waugh was quite furious with Pakistan on the 3rd day of the Australia vs Pakistan 2nd Test match at Melbourne, comparing the fielding effort by Abdullah Shafique in the slips to the hand of a crocodile. Mark Waugh emphasized on the fact that catches win matches which the Men in Green haven’t been able to do since the last 2 Test matches.
Mark Waugh is spot-on about Pakistan fielding.
Millions of memes on social media highlight the mish-mash of Pakistan’s fielding efforts in all forms of the game. It is a laugh riot. One is amused and horrified at the fielding efforts made by Pakistani players. No doubt, they are rated as the worst fielding side in cricket.
Mark Waugh deplores slip fielding standards.
He compared the fielding effort of Ashraful Shafique trying to catch a ball to a crocodile’s jaws. Shaique missed a routine catch in the slips of Mitchell Marsh. We all saw what Marsh did to the Pakistan bowling, who went on to make 96.
Slip-fielding specialists are crucial in Tests.
Test cricket requires a field pattern with one or two slip fielders for fast bowlers. This is more so while playing in Australia, where the pitches offer swing, pace and bounce. With the onset of ODI and t20, the slip fielder is a rarity. Players play a few test matches in a year.
There is no structure in Test cricket now to create specialized fielders for specific positions. We have all seen in an earlier era specific players fielding close-in at Silly Point, Forward Short-Leg, Leg Slip and Slips. These players spent an allotted time to practice fielding.
It seems that in the case of Pakistan, there does not seem to be a structure that creates these specialised fielders.
Attitude and concentration
The great South African player Jonty Rhodes says always to expect every ball to come to you. This is more true for slip fielders. Bolwers slog long and hard; the toil is rewarded if the team supports it with a committed fielding effort.
A missed catch can have terrible consequences. Look what Mitchell Marsh did after being given a second life. He took the match away from Pakistan and rebuilt the Australian innings.
Nothing changes in Pakistan!!!
There has been no learning in Pakistan cricket regarding fielding. They still rely on the ‘natural abilities’ of their players to bat and bowl to win a match. Of course, there is no mention of the fielding efforts.
I am sure we will witness many more faux-pas by the Pakistan fielders in the ongoing series against Australia.
Enjoy the misses, and enjoy the memes!!! You can bet that there are many more to come!!!