Cricket: Jonty Rhodes to join Sri Lanka team on short stint

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) confirmed a short while ago today (26) that former South Africa allrounder Jonty Rhodes will arrive in Sri Lanka to join the national cricket team’s coaching staff.     “Jonty Rhodes the former South African great will arrive today (26) in Sri Lanka on a short stint for 10 days as a fielding coach. Jonty is here ahead of the home series against Pakistan which starts next month,” the SLC media communiqué stated.   “Jonty Rhodes will educate the coaches apart from the national cricketers and other national, development and junior teams on the latest techniques of fielding,” it added.   Whilst being noted for his quick running as a right-handed batsman, Rhodes was especially noted for his fielding, particularly catching, ground fielding, and throwing from his most common position of backward point during his international career for South Africa which spanned from 1992 to 2003.   Reports and statistics in late 2005 showed that since the 1999 Cricket World Cup, he had effected the ninth highest number of run outs in ODI cricket of any fieldsman, with the third highest success rate.   During his career he also played club cricket for the University of Natal in Pietermaritzburg and first-class cricket for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, KwaZulu-Natal and Natal.   Rhodes retired from Test cricket in 2000, and from one day cricket in 2003 after an injury during the 2003 Cricket World Cup.   Rhodes also represented South Africa at hockey, and was chosen as part of the 1992 Olympic Games squad to go to Barcelona; however, the squad did not qualify to go to the tournament.