Catches Win Matches

Catches win Matches is probably one of the most famous proverbs in the game of cricket. This is something that we hear from commentators on regular basis. Everyone knows the importance of catches and how a good catch at a crucial stage of the match can turn the game on its head; however, we still see plenty of dropped catches every now and then again. This is something that has been a part of cricket from starting days and probably it will remain this way. Thinking about having a 100% success rate as far as catching is concerned is something nearly impossible however having said that the standards of fielding have gone up over the past decade or so. These days we don’t see as many dropped catches and missed chances as we used to see some 15 years back.

It has something to do with the average age of cricketers as well. If you follow cricket regularly then you will know that the average age of a cricketer has gone down significantly in recent years. This is mainly due to the introduction of shorter and faster versions of the game. Cricket is turning into a game of younger generations and there are only a few cricketers above the age of 30 in current teams. If we look back to the early 90’s we will find that the situation was totally opposite back then, as most of the cricketers started at the international level in the late ’20s. This decrease in the average age of cricketer has improved the fielding standards, as the young players are more energetic and enthusiastic. This is why you will see very few catches being dropped in an international match these days. Also, these young players are raising the bar as far as overall fielding is concerned, and you will see lot more diving catches which were considered almost impossible in the early ’90s.

A crucial dropped catch can cost the team a match

Another factor that can be considered when talking about the fielding standards is the introduction of professional fielding coaches. These days every team has a full-time coach dedicated to training the cricketers how to field properly. Therefore the players spend a lot more time practicing catching and that is also one reason we see the number of dropped catches going down significantly with the passage of time.