Not taking any decision is the worst decision, says Jonty Rhodes

COIMBATORE: Inzamam-ul-Haq set off to score a single, but was returned by his captain Imran Khan during the 1993 World Cup only to be run out by Jonty Rhodes who ran from backward point to collect the ball and hit the stumps directly. With the same energy and enthusiasm that he displayed on field Rhodes spoke to students of GRD School of Commerce and International Business on Friday.
The legendary fielder from South Africa visited Coimbatore for the first time and spoke to the students about his journey. The Mumbai Indians fielding coach was here in the country for the ongoing Champions League from which the team was knocked out in the qualifiers. Rhodes, also a national level hockey player said, "I always go to the field with a smile. I enjoy my time there."
Speaking to the students about taking risks, the Indian Rubber as he is famously known, said, "I dived on the field to try to stop the opposition from scoring. The fear that I will not be able to stop the ball never stopped me from diving." Rhodes who retired from international cricket in 2003 says, "The worst decision in life is to not take any decision."
"It is fine if you are asked to get back to your basics. Everybody has a downside in their career and we should not consider it a failure," said the South African National team fielding coach. The 45-year-old sportsman besides cricketing and hockey enjoys surfing, travelling and mountain biking. His passion was palpable when he chose to drive down nine hours to Coimbatore from Coorg. "I feel that the more I know about the world, the better I get to know about myself," he expresses.
When asked about the best fielders in the game today, Rhodes says, "I like Kieron Pollard from West Indies. He is willing to dive around the field and he is tall which is an advantage." But the fielding expert sees himself in Indian middle-order batsmen Suresh Raina. "I see the same energy and enthusiasm in Raina on field as I had," says Rhodes. As a coach Jonty always tells his players, "Every one save me one run, and that can be the game changer."