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Fielding effort thrills Penney

Zimbabwean pat for youngsters
Last Updated 16 September 2011, 17:00 IST
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With the arrival of young legs and strong shoulders into the one-day squad due to injuries to several key players, there has been a marked improvement in this department.

“From what I have seen so far in the one-day series, we have been fielding well,” noted India’s fielding coach Trevor Penney. “Some of the youngsters like Suresh Raina and Virat Kolhi have been quite outstanding and they bring in a lot of energy on the field,” added the Zimbabwean, brought on board by coach Duncan Fletcher.

The ‘donkey’ jibe by former England skipper-turned-commentator Nasser Hussain, referring to some slow movers in the Indian side, hasn’t gone down well with Penney. “That was certainly not a fair judgement. We respect everyone’s opinion but his comment is certainly not correct,” he said.

The former Warwickshire player felt that India were progressing well as a fielding unit. “The pace at which we are going, the day is not too far away when we will be considered as one of the best fielding sides in the world. In Tests, however, we have to work a bit hard and the process has already begun. It’s also exciting to see a fielder like Rahul Dravid in Test matches who has taken so many catches in the slip cordon.”

Passion, Penney pointed out, was the key to become a good fielder. “We have been bringing in new elements into the drills to get the players passionate about fielding. To become a good fielder, you have to love this department. Fielding is something you should start enjoying when you are young. You should have a good throw, anticipation and good reflexes. At the end of the day, it completely depends on how you sharpen your skills in the nets. You need to bring in that intensity in the nets. You have to hit the stumps and take those half chances to implement them in match situations. You got to take your fielding seriously,” he reasoned.

Refusing to single out the best fielder in the side, Penney said there was no lack of commitment. “I can tell you that all of them have a lot of promise and deliver on the field to the best of their abilities,” he remarked. “You can be catching all the time, but it’s important to give 100 percent on the field, which they have been doing. If you make mistakes, learn from it.

“This tour of England was one such series where the team learnt a lot. Our job is to ensure that these mistakes are not repeated,” he offered, seeking more time to judge his work. “It’s been only three months since I have been engaged with the team. You have to give me six months to one year to know where we stand.”

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(Published 16 September 2011, 17:00 IST)

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