Specialists Do Not Exist Part XXX

[zen]

In football (soccer), you have a stationary GK and 10 players running at the same time on the field. Some players are defenders, some mid-fielders and the balance forwards. They have their roles, but if an opportunity presents even the GK can go and score a goal, a forward can come back to defend (esp. during corner kicks) and so on. Apart from the GK, the rest of the positions are fluid. 

 

Cricket is more complex as you have to do 2 to 3 things - bowl, bat and field/keep. Even fielding positions such as slips, gully, etc., require you to develop relevant skills. A cricketer is expected to do well in at least 2 disciplines bat/bowl & field/keep. There are cricketers who can perform in three disciplines as well. Additionally in cricket, not every cricketer is on field at the same time esp. when his team is batting. Cricket is a sport where all 11 can bat or bowl (The WK can bowl too by giving away his duties for an over. Dhoni has done it iirc) while having to field as well. 

 

Now you can be a good batsman or a bowler, but if you cannot field adequately, you are a liability. Modern cricketers need to master at least two discipline to add value to their teams (and not embarrass themselves). As discussed, some players master three skills (and few like your zen master has triumphed in more than 3 skills ). Therefore in cricket, "specialists" as defined by some do not exist! 

 

Even outside of the world of sports - a man performs multiple activities (including maintaining work-life balance). At the end of the day, we are all All Rounders! 

 

Edited December 4, 2020 by zen

[zen]

Read about bad fielding in 1st T20 v Aus

[Ankit_sharma03]

That XXX part is eye catching