Who is the world best fielder?
In cricket, we most often talk about who is a good batter or who is a good bowler. But, when it comes to the game, an essential part of the game is fielding. Also, not every player can bat well in every match, the same thing goes for bowlers as well.
But, when it comes to fielding, all eleven players need to do that in every match. Sometimes, the game can be finished, but some of the players couldn’t show their performance in batting and bowling. Some of them are good, some of them are better, and there is this other part who are the best in fielding and famous not for their batting or bowling, but fielding.
Let’s find out the top 15 best fielders in the world.
World Best 15 Fielders
The list will contain fielders who are the best out of the best. Players who have managed to enrapture the world of cricket with their remarkable talent and fielding skills. So, take this list as more of a celebration than a comparison list. Another thing about this list is that you will also find players from different times. Therefore, calm down and let me help you know more about some of the best players who are worthy to be crowned as the “World Best Fielder” of all time.
15. Brendon McCullum
Let’s start the list with the ex-Kiwi captain, wicketkeeper, and one of the most aggressive batters of all time, Brendon McCullum. He was not only one of the best wicket-keepers of his time, but later he decided to leave the spot and started to be in the boundary line, where he was an exceptional fielder.
14. Virat Kohli
Here comes the current run machine of India and a proper descendant of Sachin Tendulkar. Virat Kohli used to be famous for his aggression on the pitch. Later, he started to show his aggression only through his bat and fielding. He has some brilliant runouts and catches in the boundary line.
13. Kieron Pollard
Now, here is the giant who can easily turn a six into an out with his brilliant mind and safe hands. Kieron Pollard is an all-rounder who is famous for his finishing matches by hitting sixes. But there is this other thing where he is a brilliant fielder. If there is a boundary-line catch, then Pollard will definitely catch it.
12. Glenn Maxwell
He is one of the deadliest and weird batter of all time who likes to start his innings by hitting sixes with reverse sweeps. Glenn Maxwell is a T20 specialist, and he is a great boundary-line fielder. He has safe hands, his throw generates massive power, and if there is a six just in the boundary line, then it will be a catch.
11. Mohammad Kaif
If you talk about India, this person started modern cricket as well as fielding in the Indian cricket team. There used to be a time when India was not even known for its fielding. And then Kaif used to come, took one or two brilliant catches, did a runout, and scored 40 runs in 25 balls, and India won.
10. Faf Du Plessis
One of the coolest captains and a great middle-order batter, Faf Du Plessis. He used to field in the boundary line, where he was capable of catching almost anything that was on his radar. He loved to throw his body where the ball aimed to land. And he was quite good at that.
9. Steve Smith
The first time Steve Smith showed his capability was when he saved 5 runs, how? Here’s how, there was a match in the IPL where he threw his body outside the boundary line, caught the ball with one hand, and then threw the ball inside the line, and this is how he turned a six into a single. And his journey continues by taking some brilliant catches.
8. Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting is a bit different from the players who love to field in the boundary line and throw their bodies in the air to catch or to the field. But when it comes to Ponting, this was not even considered, and he used to field inside the 30-yard circle. It was rare that Ponting missed a fielding or a catch. Also, he was a great fielder in the slips.
7. Andrew Symonds
Here comes another Aussie who used to be an all-rounder, death-over specialist, and fielder who could throw at stumps better than anyone. Symonds was popular for his fielding, and he had taken many wickets from a distance by fielding quickly and throwing the ball to the stumps. Hence he made his way on to this list of world best fielder.
6. Paul Collingwood
When Michael Vaughan took charge of England, there was this man who took charge of winning his team. Paul Collingwood used to bat at six, and he was one of the great finishers. Secondly, when there used to be a need, Collingwood jumped and took the ball. And there was his fielding, where he saved a lot of runs.
5. Ravindra Jadeja
When a captain asks a player what their players could give. Jadeja is a player who replies to everything. Ravindra Jadeja is a great finisher who can hit sixes, if there are some early wickets, he is capable of scoring runs without being out, if there is a need to turn two runs into singles, Jadeja is there if there is a need to catch, which are impossible for others, Jadeja is there too and bowling a full spell, Jadeja is born for that.
4. Herschelle Gibbs
A god-gifted batter who used to play South Africa, and he started his innings from the front line, here comes Herchelle Gibbs. At that time, he was the star of his team, who used to score a lot of runs, and Gibbs was an exceptional fielder. His batting innings, where he scored 185 runs against Australia to chase down 438 runs, was remarkable. but he is also known for his fielding skills. Hence, he is called world best fielder by his fans.
3. Suresh Raina
Here is another Indian player who was famous for many reasons. Before coming to his fielding, he was one of the great finishers who could bat at 3, 4, 5, or 6, where the skipper decided Raina could bat there. Other than this, Raina had a great record of runouts and catches. He loved to chase and throw his body for high catches.
2. AB de Villiers
When it comes to the world best fielder, AB is going to come on the list for sure. De Villiers is a player who has zero haters, and if someone loves cricket, they are definitely a fan of this man. Mr 360 started his career as a wicketkeeper, but later he dedicated himself to fielding, where he showed tremendous results. He was good at catching boundary line sixes, and other than that, he could turn two’s in a single and a single into a runout.
1. Jonty Rhodes
Now, coming to number 1, here is Jonty Rhodes. There is a reason why he is at the top of this list. When there was no one who used to be famous for fielding or there was no concept of modern fielding, Jonty Rhodes was here. He started the trend of this modern fielding. And the concept that fielding can win a match also was introduced by this person. Other than this, he used to be a good finisher who played for South Africa.
Some Honorable Mentions
The list was quite extensive and is full of big names who have made some amazing contributions to the world of cricket. However, I did not have the liberty to include everyone. As a result, I have made a point of curating a smaller list of honorable mentions that you must know. So, here are some of the most iconic fielders who did not make it onto our list but are noteworthy.
David Warner
The first player who made it onto our list is none other than David Warner himself. Warner needs no introduction to cricketing fans. He is one of the best players of all time. He is an amazing run scorer and is one of the best fielders of all time. Warner is a great player with impeccable agility, speed, and strength. Apart from his on-field mastery, he is known to hype up teammates and become a standout performer in every sense of the word.
Jofra Archer
Jofra Archer is one of the last players you would like to meet on the pitch. Archer is one of the fastest and most athletic players of all time. He is known as one of the most feral players on the field. Archer is primarily a right-hand fast bowler. But he is also one of the best fielders in the industry. He plays for Sussex for domestic cricket, along with some more franchises. Archer debuted back in 2019 and went on to lead his team to the 2019 World Cup Victory. Sadly, he did not make it onto our list of some of the best fielders of all time.
Kieron Pollard
Towering at 6 feet 7 inches, Kieron Pollard is one of the biggest and meanest players of his time. Despite his size, he is not someone you should mess around with. He has an impeccable speed that no other player could rival. He uses his size as an advantage to score and save runs. He is a master of limited format cricket and has captained teams like Emirates, New York, WesIndies National team, etc. He was one of the first players who played around 500 T20 matches. As a result, he is one of the best players of all time and world best fielder.
Shadab Khan
Pakistan has given us some iconic names in the cricketing world. Shadab Khan is one of the newest names on that list. He is known for his sharp skills with the balls and immensely acrobatic skills that landed him here on this list of world best fielder. His catches are a testament to this young Pakistani’s fitness. He is an all-rounder who fits into whatever role he is given. A true maestro of the game.
Final Words
I hope the players that you have been thinking about and the players who are on the list of world best fielder. Even if someone has any other fielders in their minds, they can’t deny these 15 players because they are the best of the best.
If you are not on the same page as me, please let us know about the choices that you think should be on this list. Thank You.
Read Also:
