If Jonty Rhodes is in the vicinity and a batsman tips and runs with the ball rolling towards backward point, get ready to see the stumps flying.
Rhodes first appeared for South Africa in 1992 in a Benson & Hedges Trophy game against Australia, just before the World Cup. He ensured that fielding, an under-credited facet of the game, became exponentially popular.
The youngster reiterated that you don't only have to win the battle between the bat and the ball, but also have to outclass the opposition in the fielding department to prevail in the game of cricket. Cue his run-out of Inzamam-ul-Haq in the World Cup. It became a landmark as soon as it was relayed across the world and remains so to date.
Born on July 27, 1969, Jonty Rhodes' test average stands at 35.6 while in ODIs, he averages 35.11. What the stats don't tell though is that he effectively averaged around 50 in his international career due to the runs he saved in the field.
Rhodes may score only 30-40 runs with bat on an average but saved 15-20 runs in the outfield, mainly at backward point as he prevented singles and effected run-outs.
Rhodes made his test debut versus India at Durban and continues to have an association with the country till date. The former Protea international is still involved in the IPL. It was in 2016, when while serving as the fielding coach of Mumbai Indians, his second wife Melanie Jeanne gave birth to a daughter, whom the couple named India, after the country which Rhodes calls his second home.
"I have spent a lot of time here. What I love about India is that it's a rich mix of culture, heritage and tradition. It is a very spiritual country, a very forward-thinking nation. I really like that combination. You have to have a good balance of life. With a name like India, she will have the best of both worlds and that sort of balance," Rhodes said when asked about the choice of his daughter's name.
Rhodes is a man of many talents. Apart from cricket, he was excellent at hockey as well so much so that he also had an offer to feature in the 1996 Olympic games, but had to turn it down in favour of his most-loved sport.
Rhodes also became a trendsetter when he became the first cricketer to take paternity leave. Virat Kohli followed his footsteps recently.
