Ian Chappell column: Dont let it slip at slips

The Lordrsquos Test was a timely reminder of a game that can be an enthralling contest when therersquos something in the pitch for the bowlers and is enhanced by the magic of good wristspinWhile the bowling at times reached heights of excellence the batting at Lordrsquos was often moderate and the catching appallingEknath Solkar in the early 1970sThe next time a commentator says fielding standards have greatly improved over the years Irsquod like him or her to be more specificSome of the outfielding is spectacular in its athleticism and at times even displays ballet like qualities but the close catching is technically deficientPakistanrsquos Younis Khan drops Englandrsquos JamesVince at slip on DayOne of the second Test at Old Trafford in Manchester on Friday PicGetty ImagesAnd itrsquos not just England and Pakistan who are at fault itrsquos a world wide epidemic and in this case itrsquos not catchingMost of the dropped catches behind the wicket are the result of one simple technical flaw the failure to slightly turn the foot outwards to the side on which the ball is travelling before making the next move Without this simple manoeuvre the fielder will be offbalance when attempting to complete a catchOn most occasions when a catch goes down the fieldsman either collapses sideways like a detonated building or takes a tumble backwardsTechnical flawNot to pick on Virat Kohli but hersquos a high quality batsman with wonderful hand eye coordination which should make him a natural for the catching positions However Kohlirsquos failings in the slip cordon are the result of this technical flaw and also a lack of anticipation in the legslip position when the spinners are operatingAnticipation is a big part of fielding at legslip to the spinners because often the ball suddenly appears from behind a pad Consequently itrsquos crucial to follow the flight of the delivery and then focus on a spot from whence the ball will appearI watched in amazement as Garry Sobers mdash fielding at legslip for South Australia mdash calculated that a Victorian batsman was purely blocking the last over before lunch Choosing his moment perfectly he stepped forward placed his hand on the ground and the ball was played straightinto his hands Sobers was one of the best in that position but he had an equal in Indiarsquos Eknath Solkar Solkar was exceedingly brave in the shortleg position and wouldrsquove made an excellent pickpocket he stood so close without you feeling his presenceWhat a pity Ekki isnrsquot around now hersquod be able to put Kohli and any other shortleg who cared to listen straight on whatrsquos required to excel in that positionI often wonder what current players are being taught particularly when it comes to batting and fielding Itrsquos understandable that coaching is a little confused with three variations of the game to satisfy but there are certain principles that should be adhered to in order to achieve successSome coaches put forward theories that are more about reinventing the game than helping their charges Irsquom all for improvement but change for the sake of it is usually misdirected because the motives behind it are wrongJust because a technique is ancient doesnrsquot mean itrsquos inefficient It has usually survived because itrsquos been tried and tested over many years and proved to be the best way to achieve successGrasp it earlyLike most aspects of the game these trusted techniques are best learned when the player is young anywhere from eight to 18 years of age The most knowledgeable coaches should be in charge of good young players and not international teamsCricket needs to closely examine its coaching structure There have never been more coaches but while the game has improved in a number ofareas itrsquos technically deficient in some very important aspectsSobers wrote in his coaching book ldquoOne of the greatest tragedies of cricket coaching is that the greatness of the gamersquos best players has been revered but never followedrdquoMany young players have and will learn the game from watching it on television Better they learn techniques that work rather than observe theories that are the result of some misguided coachrsquosambition