Sharjah: Jonty Rhodes, the South African cricketer who is regarded as one of the greatest fielders of all-time, has showered praise on India’s promising batsman Sanju Samson.
Rhodes’ affection for the youngster stems from the fact that Samson always takes on the fielders and keeps them on their toes at all times. The former Proteas batsman is in the UAE working as a commentator on the ongoing ICC Under-19 World Cup here, and it was in that role that he saw Samson hit an impressive 85 against Papua New Guinea last week.
He told Gulf News: “I like Samson’s intensity. He has got a great array of strokes and hits the ball to the boundary. I have seen him in action during the IPL [Indian Premier League]. He works the ball through the gaps and is prepared to take on the fielders.
“I think his batting partners should realise that, when he walks to the crease, they need to have their running spikes on because he is going to take on the fielders.
“I feel Samson is really good. The way he walks reveals a lot of maturity as he has been playing at top-class level even if he hasn’t played international Test cricket. He has been playing with some of the world’s top players through the IPL.”
Rhodes played 52 Tests between 1992 and 2000, averaging 36 with the bat, as well as 245 one-day internationals with an average of 35. Now 44, he is remembered as a driving force behind the improvement of fielding in cricket and he believes the game has a bright future if the skills on show at the Under-19 World Cup are anything to go by.
“The level of composure some of the under-19 boys have shown is remarkable,” he said. “Those from the subcontinent, especially India and Pakistan’s batting, have been very strong and so is their bowling. Some of statistics that these guys have when compared to the players from England, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia is very impressive.
“These boys from the subcontinent play a lot of cricket from a very early age, so I think the future of the game is very healthy if this is the standard that is coming through.”
On their fielding, he added: “When I was making my first-class debut I was the only one really diving around. It has changed now as all the teams do it. I feel Twenty20 cricket has been instrumental in improving the standard of fielding, as youngsters from all countries watch fielders in the IPL, the Champions League and T20 World Cups.”
