In addition to being a renowned Proteas player and successful coach, Jonty Rhodes is also credited with inspiring a new generation of cricket players.
Today, 27 July, is the superstar’s birthday. He turns 53-years-old.
Rhodes is mainly remembered for his outstanding fielding, which perhaps revolutionized the discipline.
Rhodes would still be regarded as a world-class fielder today because of his incredible on-field achievements.
Here is a highlight video from Jonty Rhodes’ remarkable career.
Video courtesy of ICC.
AB de Villiers, a former Proteas captain, is one of those Rhodes motivated.
Rhodes may have prevented us from ever witnessing Mister 360’s greatness.
“Jonty Rhodes stood out as the best. He again had the greatest influence at an early age.
I witnessed the World Cup 1992 run out live when I was eight years old. That really affected me, said de Villiers.
Every day of my life, I worked on that run out. Blood and grass were all over me, but I still had to practice running away.
I never got the chance to do that run out in my professional life.
But it still gave me so much motivation to go above and beyond on the field and make crucial catches for the team.
That was Jonty’s style of play. I’ve always wanted to play that manner.
“We got along well. Just meeting him was a great dream come true for me.
A year or two later, he was the Proteas team’s fielding coach.
Being around him was a dream come true, so it all kind of blurred together.
In between cricket tours, we played tennis. We continue to communicate.
He travels extensively. That is the sort of guy he is. He enjoys living.
He simply mounts his motorcycle and takes off for hours.
He has a little amount of drive. De Villiers continued, “He is still the same.