Almost all of us who have watched or played cricket at any time in our lives have heard the oft-repeated saying ‘catches win matches’. It is a statement that is accepted within the cricket fraternity the world over and there have been innumerable instances which have justified the statement.
Catches do win matches and there is hardly anything more frustrating in a game of cricket than watching your team’s fielder ruin the chances of victory by dropping a catch he is expected to take.
While some fielders are infamous for dropping catches, there are a few who have a reputation for plucking the ball out of thin air and taking the most impossible of catches to give their team a chance of victory.
Also read: 5 most skilled batsmen in EA Cricket 07
In EA Cricket 07, too, there are a few fielders who will pouch the most difficult of catches with consummate ease. In this article, we attempt to list out the best fielders in the game. Take a look.
#1 Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting is recognised as one of the best batsmen to have ever played the gentleman’s game. Apart from his batting skills, “Punter” was also part of an Australian team which dominated world cricket through the 2000s, and he led Australia to consecutive World Cup triumphs in 2003 and 2007.
What the Tasmanian was not lauded for though was his agility and fielding prowess. Ponting, through his career, made a habit of taking difficult reflex catches as part of the slip cordon to bowlers like Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath. So good were his skills that by 2007, the Aussie skipper had taken more than 550 catches in his career.
When EA Cricket 07 was released, the Australian team were at their peak and in the process of winning the World Cup in the West Indies. Ponting too was at his batting and fielding best and consequently received agility and speed ratings of 96 while his catching attributes stood at an impressive 94. His special skills also include Velcro Hands and Acrobat which make him a brilliant fielder in the game.
#2 Andrew Symonds
The burly Australian all-rounder was one of the most destructive batsmen in the world on his day with the ability to take apart any bowling attack in the world. A handy bowler too, Symonds managed to take quite a few wickets for the Aussies with his off-spin bowling.
In spite of his size, Symonds was a brilliant fielder who could take catches not expected of such a big man. Usually standing at point, his favoured fielding position, Symonds caught hold of quite a few blinders in his career.
In EA Cricket 07, the Australian, like his captain, possesses the twin abilities of Velcro Hands and Acrobat, which make him one of the better fielders in the game. He also has the Bullet Arm attribute which allows him to effect run-outs with greater ease and efficiency. In addition to this, Symonds also has an agility rating of 96 and a catching attribute of 94.
#3 Jacques Kallis
The South Africans are reputed to be great fielders and they have produced true fielding legends in the form of Jonty Rhodes and AB de Villiers amongst others. Included in the ranks of the best South African fielders is the now retired legendary all-rounder, Jacques Kallis who, over his two-decade long career, managed to take a remarkable 200 Test catches along with 250+ wickets and 10,000 runs.
Along with his run-scoring and wicket-taking exploits, Kallis' rattlesnake-like reflexes while fielding have been well documented. EA Cricket took the all-rounder’s class into account while rating his batting and bowling while also keeping in mind Kallis’ extraordinary fielding abilities.
Kallis might not be the fastest across the field in the game with a speed rating of 88 but he more than makes up for that deficiency with his catching rating of 92. The now 42-year-old was also given the special attribute of Velcro Hands which ensure that catches don't slip from his grasp.
#4 Stephen Fleming
Stephen Fleming captained the New Zealand cricket team for the longest period of time in the country’s history, winning Test series in countries all over the world. Proclaimed by Shane Warne to be the best captain in world cricket, Fleming was also a vastly underrated fielder who made the slip position his own.
The Kiwi is also the Black Caps’ highest rated fielder in EA Cricket 07. Although not blessed with lightning speed, he never required it due to his excellence in the slip cordon. The Rising Pune Supergiant’s coach has a catching rating of 92 along with attributes like arm strength, agility and speed all at a significantly high 84. Moreover, his accuracy stands at an exemplary 86. He also possesses the Velcro Hands special skill which makes him a safe option when the ball is flying towards him.
#5 M. Keph (Mohammad Kaif)
Mohammad Kaif is one of the best fielders India has ever produced. His efforts while fielding at point for the Men In Blue are the stuff of legend and he was a pathbreaking fielder who took the first steps towards making India the excellent fielding side it is today.
Keph, as he was known in the game due to licensing issues, is India’s best fielder in EA Cricket 07. Electric across the field with a speed rating of 90, his athleticism is complemented by a brilliant catching rating of 86. Kaif also has a brilliant throwing arm rated at 84 and is handy in effecting quick, cheeky run-outs. In addition to this, Kaif also has the Acrobat attribute which allows him to throw his body around and reach even the most difficult of balls.
