Top ten slip fielders in the last three decades

Sunil Manohar Gavaskar took many fabulous catches during his 16-year long career – four of which came during an ODI match at Sharjah involving Pakistan – when he was standing in the slips cordon. That was the day when India successfully defended a paltry total of 125 against a star studded Pakistan batting line up, which had the ability to bat right down to the tail. The chasing team was bundled out for 87 runs, thanks mainly to the catching abilities of Gavaskar in the slips. Had he dropped even one of those prized scalps which came on his way, things would have been totally different, to say the least.

That happened during 1985 and since then so many brilliant slip fielders have come and gone while a very few remain today. Normally we used to label the men standing in the slips as fielders but it would be more appropriate for us to call them ‘catchers’. You are not stationed there to save runs for your team, you are expected to assist the wicket keeper by hanging on to the opportunities offered.

Only if you have a cool head can you be a good slip fielder. Normally, the wicket keepers have the tendency to take a dive in front of you, spoiling what would have otherwise been a regulation slip catch for you. But at the same time, you, standing in the slips, cannot take it for granted that the man with the webbed gloves would be going for it. Many a times, we have seen keepers and the men at first slip, in particular, let the ball go past them to the boundary, thinking that the other person would take it. If you are an expert in slip fielding you can be an asset to your team.

Having illustrated the importance of slip fieldsmen and their prime quality, let me quickly list out the top ten individuals who excelled in this area.

1. Mark Waugh

No one can place this younger of the Waugh twins anywhere else in the list when the discussion is about slip catching. Just like no one can question the position of Mt.Everest amongst the world’s tallest peaks, Mark Edward Waugh’s status as the best slip fielder ever can never be disputed. He used to stand alongside Mark Taylor and Shane Warne in the slips for most part of his career. You would have seen him chatting all the time with his co-fielders, staying completely stoic to the happenings on the field. But when an opportunity was presented, he rarely used to miss out. He used to make slip catching look ridiculously easy.

Position: Second slip for the most part

2. Brian McMillan

This forgotten former South African all rounder was a sensational slip catcher. The commentators used to equate his hands to buckets during those days. He had such a safe pair of hands. He was very well built but his quick reflexes hardly ever let him down when it came to reacting to the catches. His bulky frame never deterred him from making those dives.

Position: Mostly in first slip

3. Mark Taylor

Standing in the slips to Shane Warne can never be an easy job. But Mark Taylor always positioned himself in the slip area when the great leg spinning wizard was bowling and took some mind blowing catches. Constantly chewing gum, he had the air of a man under no pressure.

Position: First Slip

4. Rahul Dravid

Maybe because Dravid used to keep wickets during his younger days, slip catching wasn’t a difficult thing for him. Most of the catches which he took during his tenure were at close fielding positions like slips and silly point. He had excellent reflexes plus enormous concentration powers which are the prerequisites for being a great slip fielder. No wonder he holds the record for the most number of catches in Test matches, as a fielder. Can anyone forget his exploits in the slips in Toronto against West Indies where he went on to win the MOM award?

Position: Stood at both first and second slip

5. Mohammad Azharuddin

This former Indian captain was one of those individuals who could field at any position, leave alone slips. He had perfect catching technique and was very sharp in grasping his chances. Even after pulling off some excellent catches, he always sported a sober look, never displaying any emotions. He was comfortable diving on both the sides, setting an example to the rest of the fielders in his team.

Position: Stood at both first and second slip

6. Stephen Fleming

This former New Zealand cricketer was a very elegant slip fielder, much like Mark Waugh. You would not have seen acrobatic stuff from him behind the wickets, but he was a very effective catcher. He was a tall guy with a very safe pair of hands. The Kiwi team, since the departure of Ian Smith, had not produced many brilliant wicket keepers and so the task of Fleming, as a slip fieldsman, grew manifold. And whoever accompanied him in the slips were not recognized slip fielders either. Maybe Nathan Astle was one who could do a bit of slip fielding, but he was never in the same league as Fleming.

Position: First Slip

7. Shane Warne

This legendary leg spinner was a very smart fielder at slips. Most of the times we tend to overlook this quality because he was more recognized for his bowling. The stout figure that he carried never prevented him from throwing himself on to the ground whenever he attempted catches. Plus the fact that he had companions like Mark Waugh and Taylor in the slips must have helped him a lot. Together, they formed an impenetrable fortress, making life difficult for the batsmen who were iffy outside the off stump.

Position: Stood at both first and second slip

8. Carl Hooper

Kelvinator Refrigerators used to have this tagline long time back – “Trust the coolest one.” Yes, the cooler ones have to be trusted and the West Indies team did the right thing by trusting Carl Hooper in that sense during 80s and 90s by positioning him constantly in the slips. Unfazed by the circumstances, he used to go about his business of catching very eloquently. He might have been an underrated player in the slips; nevertheless he performed well in the slip cordon off the bowling of Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh all throughout his career.

Position: Second slip

9. Mahela Jayawardene

Like most of the captains in world cricket, this Sri Lankan also fares exceedingly well as a slip fieldsman. Marked by immense concentration and the able guidance of his peer with the wicket keeping gloves, Sangakkara, he leads his team well from the slip cordon, keeping an eye on the happenings closely. He is one of the very few high quality slip fieldsmen left in the modern game.

Position: Both first and second slip

10. Andrew Flintoff

This 2005 Ashes hero was a natural athlete and a safe catcher. Helped by soft hands and effective technique, he used to be a nightmare for batsmen who were not comfortable against seaming deliveries. He used to make full fledged dives and stop the ball from reaching the boundaries even if he missed out on catching them. Though he was very efficient as a slip fielder, the amount of time he used to spend there was relatively lesser than time spent in the outfield and so he is at the bottom of this list.

Position: Second slip