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Jonty Rhodes is the name that is most associated with conversations around the best fielders in the game. A former hockey player for South Africa, Rhodes was noted for his athleticism and running, aspects which aided his fielding, as he made the backward point position his own during the advent of the white-ball game. Despite this, Rhodes was no pushover with the bat, scoring 5935 and 2532 runs in ODIs and Tests respectively. Rhodes is also considered one of the pioneers of the ‘reverse-sweep’, a shot that has become commonplace in cricket in the modern era, and was the first batter to hit a six with a reverse-sweep.
Rhodes has represented South Africa in 52 Test matches, making his debut against India in the 1992 ‘Friendship Tour’ undertaken after the Proteas were reinstated into the cricketing fold. He scored his maiden Test century against Sri Lanka in the 1993-94 season, scoring a brilliant 101 in the final innings to salvage a draw in Motuwara. His highest score of 117, one of three Test centuries, came against England at Lord’s in 1998, in a 10-wicket victory for the Proteas, getting himself on the honours board. He has scored 17 half-centuries in Tests, and announced his retirement from the format in 2001 to extend his career till the 2003 World Cup.
Rhodes made his ODI debut in the 1992 Cricket World Cup against Australia, where they bundled the Aussies out for 170 and chased it down with ease. He notably ran out Craig McDermott in the game in stunning fashion. The moment he is perhaps most fondly remembered for came in their next match against Pakistan. Chasing 194 to win in 36 overs, Pakistan were motoring along at 135 for 2 when Inzamam ul Haq, on 48, set off for a single but was sent back by captain Imran Khan. Rhodes, picking up the ball at backward point, raced towards the striker’s end and launched a full-length dive to inflict the run-out. The dismissal triggered a significant collapse, which saw Pakistan finish their innings at 173 for 8, losing by 20 runs.
In 1993, Rhodes became the first outfield player to take five catches in an ODI match against the West Indies in Mumbai. He became the first player to complete 100 catches in ODIs for South Africa. Rhodes’ first ODI century came against Pakistan in 1996, when he scored a brilliant 121 to take the Proteas to 321 for 8. His next and only second century in the format came in 2002 when he scored an unbeaten 107 against New Zealand. He has scored 33 half-centuries to go with his two centuries, and has been stranded in the 90s on two separate occasions.
Since the end of his career, Rhodes has taken up roles as a fielding coach across multiple professional teams. He worked with the Mumbai Indians as their fielding coach from 2009 to 2017, where he oversaw three triumphs in 2013, 2015 and 2017. He has worked with the Punjab Kings and is currently fielding coach of the Lucknow Super Giantans and the Durban Super Giants.
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