Ironic twist in Australian fielding connection (16 August 1999)

16 August 1999

Ironic twist in Australian fielding connection

Trevor Chesterfield

Colombo (Sri Lanka) - When you hear that unmistakable Aussie twang drifting up from the middle of the field at the Sinhalese Sports Club as the Sri Lanka players dive around stopping balls belted in their direction, it is not the bulky figure of coach Dav Whatmore directing operations.

Whatmore has since his association with Lancashire cultivated something more acceptable in the nets at Old Trafford than those of Down Under, while the slim, rangy guy in serious need of a suntan and the Sri Lanka fielding coach comes from Adelaide.

It is some years though since Trevor Chappell (on the instructions no less of older brother Greg) gained a level of notoriety and his brother a permanent place in the New Zealand Hall of Dishonour, for engineering the lowest delivery in modern history. Mention the word Kiwi with in earshot of the younger Chappell is likely to get little more than a grimace as a form of acknowledgement.

When he learns he is not about to be mocked, patronised or chided over the incident you do get is a bit of a grin and a couple of words when discussing his work with the Sri Lanka players whose general fielding during the World Cup was, when at its best, generally shoddy. And the couple of words are about as much verbal content you are going to get: he declines to talk about his future with the side, as he is not inclined towards signing another contract.

Do not blame Chappell either for the inconsistency fielding levels at the tournament. He was not directing the show on the field at the World Cup, and from the grumbling of some younger players at Northampton and Taunton, Arjuna Ranatunga had his own field-placement theories and generally ignored for Australian all-rounder's advice. Sanath Jayasuriya has a different opinion: his view is that fielding support for the bowlers is not a matter, or a question of field placement, but who are the most effective players in such positions.

No wonder Jayasuriya and Chappell seem to have a more amicable understanding. He also agrees there is a certain irony in the Australian connection on the sub-continent.

What is surprising, when you consider the hostile relations between Australia and Sri Lanka since bad blood was spilled by Darrell Hair at Melbourne during the Christmas Test of 1995/96 when he called Muthia Muralitharan for throwing, is Sri Lanka's decision to sign Chappell as a fielding coach.

Then again, Chappell is not the only former Oz Test player running a fielding workshop on the sub-continent; India similarly employed Bobby Simpson. Other foreign connections were Pakistan hiring Richard Pybus for the World Cup while the gravel tones of Eddie Barlow to shortly be heard around the fields of Bangladesh. There is also Sri Lankan-born and Australian capped Whatmore, back in charge of his island in the sun. They are, however, unlikely to swap swot notes on the various fielding activities. Which has nothing to do with pride or personal preferences: more a matter of strategies and game plans.

It was a point made by Simpson as the India squad gathers for the last training session before the Aiwa Cup.

"You spread around ideas and broaden the scope, one compliments the other," he said. "It is not just about training players to make them better fieldsmen. "You pass on hints and ideas, encourage and motivate and help improve their communication and skills. I felt there was a marked improvement during the World Cup which was an encouraging sign," he commented.

As with Jayasuriya the India captain, Sachin Tendulkar, places a strong emphasis on the importance of close in fielding. India lost out of a World Cup semi-final when losing to New Zealand in the Super Six series at Trent Bridge in Nottingham. The Kiwis, chasing a solid enough target, but Roger Twose and Chris Cairns picked up runs with quick singles when there was a lack of anticipation by the Indian fieldsmen in the circle.

Tendulkar is all too aware of the importance of field placings in the circle and eliminating as many errors as possible without too much fuss and bother.

Which, Chappell points out, requires better concentration levels to clean up ground fielding mistakes. Or, as Simpson says, lifting standards needs an improved focus.

It leaves them, however, with the knowledge the Australians, under Geoff Marsh, have some nifty fieldsmen in their ranks and matching them in this particular series is not going to be that easy.

Source :: Trevor Chesterfield, Pretoria News