As good as Jonty?

HYDERABAD: At 42, he is as sprightly as ever. Watching Jonty Rhodes, former South African fielding legend, in action even if it’s only a training session at the Gymkhana grounds, is enough to get one to pick up the ball and leap in the air. In the city to train budding cricketers, he gets chatty with City Express and talks about his love for biryani, the changing landscape of Hyderabad and of course, cricket and Bollywood.Memoirs of the Pearl CityAsk Jonty about his tryst with the city, he says, “After a warm up game in 1996, I visited Hyderabad recently when Mumbai Indians played an IPL match with the Deccan Chargers. That was one of those times when I went out of the stadium and saw the city. From 1996 to now, the city has improved drastically.”Like any food lover, even Jonty is a victim of the Hyderabadi Biryani. His favourite dish, he reveals, is mutton biryani. “Oh! I love the mutton biryani here. Last evening after I landed, the first thing I did once I reached my hotel was eat mutton biryani. It’s just delicious.”He has plans to visit the city again this December.‘His’toryJonty shares a little about his family as well. “Both my parents are teachers. We had a huge backyard and we had a tennis court in the backyard. That was where most of my practice took place. I also played hockey and tennis,” he recalls, adding he has always believed in getting the basics right.Bollywood ConnectionBeing a part of Mumbai Indians is but an obvious way for Jonty to interact with Bollywood stars. “I recently saw Dostana and I have also met John Abraham and Akshay Kumar. John is one great example of “not-going-by people’s faces”. He looks strong, but is a gentle guy at heart. And Akshay looks like a gentle guy, but is really strong,” opines Jonty.His favourite stars? He confesses, “I haven’t really watched many Bollywood movies. So, I don’t have any favourites. ”The ongoing fielding sessions at Gymkhana are part of the Omtex Sports Academy Pvt Ltd’s initiative called the Jonty’s Way. The Jonty’s Way aims to make available to cricketers at all levels and age groups, Jonty’s module of fielding. Asked whether fielding comes naturally to players, the South African explains, “It definitely can be taught to players. But it has to be designed as per the individual’s capacity.”Is anybody as good as Jonty?“There is not just one guy but quite a few like Michael Clarke, Yuvraj, Kohli, Raina are all as good as me,” says the modest man.