Glenn Maxwell ranked Australia’s No. 1 cricket fielder according to baseball-style statistics
GLENN Maxwell is the No. 1 fielder in Australian cricket as experts try to implement methods to lift flagging fielding standards.
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GLENN Maxwell is the first king of a new Moneyball-style system designed to bring lost glamour back to Australian fielding.
There has been an alarming slide in the underrated art since the days when Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Andrew Symonds used to stalk batsmen like prowling panthers in the infield and set the tone for Australian dominance.
It used to be considered automatic that Australia’s top batsmen could also field, but over the past decade the national system has been producing too many one-dimensional cricketers who lack athleticism and basic skills in catching and throwing.
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One bold new initiative being implemented at the national performance centre is a rankings system based on baseball’s famous ‘Moneyball’ sabermetrics, which experts hope will help will bring out the competitiveness in players and drive them to want to make fielding part of their DNA.
Maxwell is the No. 1 ranked fielder in Australian cricket under the system, still very much in its infancy.
Adelaide’s Jake Weatherald, Sydney Thunder’s Chris Green, Perth’s Jhye Richardson and the Sixers’ Sean Abbott round out the national top five based on Big Bash League performances over the past few seasons, with a ‘fielding impact rating’ calculated on factors like catches, hit-stumps, runs-saved versus runs-scored and errors.
Weatherald earned a catch assist for his freakish role in last summer’s BBL where he threw the ball while in mid-air over the boundary rope to teammate Ben Laughlin.
Cameron Bancroft, Peter Handscomb and Ben Dunk have also rated highly, but their numbers are influenced somewhat by time with the keeping gloves on.
Determined to restore Australia’s reputation, coaching guru Brad Haddin is on a mission to bring back the national team’s “identity” in the field, with his emphasis on education and performance.
“We want a lot more intensity and to create that identity in the field that Australia used to have,” said Haddin.
“We want that athleticism back. We want to own the ring. Whether it’s a T20 game for 120 balls or a one-dayer for 300 balls, there is a contest every ball and that’s the mindset we want to get back to.
When you had Hussey, Symonds, Ponting and Clarke controlling that turf it was hard work to get the ball through … that’s the stuff we’ve been filtering back down to the states.
“It’s understanding the importance fielding has in the game.”
Australia is ranked third in the world for fielding, and Haddin has put a major focus on catching. Without their two best run-scorers for the next 12 months, taking chances offered by the band of 140km/h quicks will be crucial.
Cameras are being used at training to show players what their habits are under pressure and baseball coaches have been brought in to improve throwing techniques.
Fielding in ‘hot spot’ positions in the infield, the metrics benchmark Maxwell has taken a near competition-high 29 catches in 43 BBL games, although he also registered four errors.
Players are being implored to dedicate themselves to fielding like they do batting or bowling and it’s hoped the competitiveness of a rankings system is a tool that can help.
“I’ve never met anyone who wants to stay at the bottom of a list,” said Troy Cooley, head coach of Australia’s National Performance Program.
“People went and watched Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Andrew Symonds field. Who are people coming to watch field now?
“Hadds’ wants to get that feeling of intensity back, starting with people getting out of bed in the morning and wanting to be a great fielder.”
Australia’s top 5 fielders:
1. Glenn Maxwell
2. Jake Weatherald
3. Chris Green
4. Jhye Richardson
5. Sean Abbott
Originally published as Glenn Maxwell ranked Australia’s No. 1 cricket fielder according to baseball-style statistics
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