Major Rhodes ahead: farewell to the fielder of dreams

Where were you when Jonty Rhodes swooped from backward point and launched into a headlong dive at the stumps in 1992? Or, more pertinently, where was Inzamam-ul-Haq, the Pakistan batsman stranded by one of the most extraordinary fielding exploits of all time?

Since that horizontal arrival on the global stage fully 11 years ago, Rhodes has become one of the genuine icons of the sport, with huge fan bases from Adelaide to Bombay to Calcutta to Durban to Edinburgh. And beyond. He tells the story of how a letter from a fan, posted on the Asian subcontinent, arrived at his home in South Africa simply addressed to: Jonty Rhodes, world's best fielder.

Starting against West Indies at Newlands today, and over the next six weeks, Rhodes, playing in his fourth and final World Cup before heading for Gloucestershire, will add to a CV which numbers 243 one-day internationals with 5,933 runs coming at 35.31 per knock. That in itself is deceptive, because more often than not he comes in around No 6 – his favourite place in the order is four – and has to sacrifice himself for the team.

A strike rate of 80.95 runs per 100 balls is a better indication of his effectiveness. Then there are the 105 catches, countless run-outs, starting with Inzamam's, the result of a series of spectacular stops, pick-ups and direct hits, all of which make him the one player no one takes a chance with. And, in an emergency, he can bowl; 2.2 overs of medium pace in one-day internationals have cost four runs.

In time, this 33-year-old South African will be remembered as the man who took world fielding to a new level, not merely for that Inzamam run-out, which he labels his best piece of work. Along with another fantastic exponent of fielding, Herschelle Gibbs, the gully and point region are patrolled more effectively than a pack of hungry wild dogs, looking for scraps to feed on, could do.

Rhodes, it will not come as a surprise to know, holds the world record for most dismissals by a non-wicketkeeper in a one-day international, taking five catches against West Indies in Bombay in 1993-94. Last October his achievements were recognised in a vote conducted by leading players around the world; the result gave him 75 per cent of the poll, with Australia's Ricky Ponting second on 20 per cent. There is a substantial school of thought which says the best fielding side will go on and lift the World Cup trophy next month. If so, South Africa are that unit, with Rhodes and Gibbs setting a standard that is followed enthusiastically throughout the team.

A humble family man, with young daughter Daniella ensuring his day gets off to a 5.50 start every morning, Rhodes exudes boyish charm and enthusiasm, but when you see him galvanising his teammates into action during today's opening match of the 2003 World Cup at Newlands, you will notice a change in that schoolboy image. For Jonty, on his wife Kate's instructions, has had his trademark squeaky-clean hairstyle cut.

"Kate told me to model my hair on Hugh Grant's, but the hairstylist said my hair and Hugh Grant simply did not go together," Rhodes said last week. So the result is a spikier, gelled look. "It makes me look taller." Which is not good news for all batsmen.

Given the way Rhodes the Christian conducts himself on and off the field – along with the tragic Hansie Cronje, he used to wear a wrist bangle with the letters "WWJD" (What Would Jesus Do) – the decade-long friendship he has had with Shane Warne is one of the sport's unlikely bonds. Then again, it suggests that the Australian spinner isn't the serial hell-raiser many portray him to be, at least when he is in the company of a fellow great player.

As South Africa attempt to erase the memory of that 1999 semi-final defeat, Rhodes will be attempting to create new memories of his own. The fielder with wind under his wings. The batsman in perpetual motion. The man who knows that in a country where sport is a religion, religion is more important. If his team win the World Cup, many genuine cricket fans will feel that the last chapter in Jonty's book is a happy one. Just like the first one started, in 1992.