Sliding stop vs conventional 'pull back' stop fielding
‘A bowler will take wickets in some matches, a batsman will succeed and fail, but a dynamic fielder will save runs in every match’ – the dialogue from the movie, MS Dhoni - The Untold Story, showed Dhoni’s focus to architect a young side and give prominence to fielding.
Current Indian captain, Virat Kohli has never let fielding take a backseat either as he has manifested during the last season of the IPL when Sarfaraz Khan was left out of the Royal Challengers Bangalore team due to his mediocre fielding.
The saying goes, ‘A run saved is equivalent to a run scored’ and rightly so, factoring in the dynamics of the sport. One run may not prove to be very important, but it may pan out to be big enough to make a difference between joy and despair.
Fielding has grown to be a pivotal facet and affording even one weak fielder turns detrimental to the cause of winning a match. Batsmen try to push fielders, while the fielders are always on their toes to prevent batsmen to be instinctive.
Over the course of time, fielders have eked out ways to put a cut on the runs scored. Conventional pull-backs have been common, but in the last decade or so, the sliding stops have been employed more by fielders from around the world. We take an insight into the pros and cons of the two styles of fielding.
Dry and soggy outfields
Sliding stops are glamorous, may cause injuries to fielders. On a ground where the turf is moist, it’s risky business to slide as the spikes of the boot can easily get stuck in the outfield. It could also cause a tweaking of the ankle, which may put a cricketer on the sidelines for a minimum of four months.
There are also patches of certain grounds which are devoid of grass and diving over it may lead to bruises on the body which may take time to heal apart from being painful. On the contrary, pullback stop prunes down unwanted wounds as only the feet are in contact with the turf.
Therefore, from the injuries perspective, the pull-back stops are far safer than sliding stops.