10 best South African fielders of all time 

#1 Colin Bland

Colin Bland

The man who played for South Africa in the early to mid-1960s was a fine attacking batsman but it was because of his fielding that he has become immortal and is not only regarded as his country's best fielder but also the greatest fielder in cricket history. Bland's primary attributes as a fielder were his athletic abilities, concentration and an absolutely fiendish tendency to run batsmen out with direct hits. In addition to that, he did it time and again and as a result, he developed the reputation of a fielder whose very presence made batsmen panic.

Additionally, he was an incredibly quick mover and took plenty of catches that have gone down in cricket folklore. Renowned English journalist called him the 'Fielder of the Century' and in his book titled Frank Keating's Sporting Century, he wrote about Bland's dedication towards his craft. He wrote, “I had watched Bland practising obsessively for hours at the local sports club by throwing at a single stump placed inside a hockey goal-net.”

Opinions might be divided but Bland still stands tall among the all-time great South African fielders.