Suicide Squads — The Bravest Fielding Positions in Cricket

Cricket's 'suicide squad' positions — silly mid-on, silly mid-off, forward short leg, and leg slip — stand so close to the batter that they face genuine physical danger from a full-blooded stroke. A ball hit hard from three or four metres away gives no time to react. These positions are set specifically to take catches from edges, pads, and miscued defensive shots, creating pressure that spinners and medium-pace bowlers use to generate wickets.

Where These Positions Stand

Silly mid-on and silly mid-off stand roughly three to five metres from the bat on the appropriate side, slightly in front of square. Short leg stands on the leg side, very close, primarily to take catches from the bat-pad (ball nicking the bat onto the pad and lobbing up). Leg slip stands behind the batter on the leg side for inside edges and leg-side deflections. All of these positions are within hitting range of even a defensive stroke.

Why Captains Set These Fields

Close-in fielders create a psychological effect beyond their catching opportunity. A batter conscious of someone standing a metre to their left cannot play freely through that zone. They either avoid the area (narrowing their scoring options) or try to hit through it (and risk the catch). Against spin bowlers, short leg and silly mid-on are used to field the bat-pad catch — when a batter pokes at a turning delivery, the ball deflects off pad into the air close to the pitch.

The Protective Equipment

Fielders in close-catching positions must wear helmets under current Laws. Chest guards, abdominal guards, and shin pads are also worn by some fielders in the most dangerous positions — short leg in particular, where a full-speed pull shot aimed at the body is a real risk. The fielder cannot move or react faster than the ball arrives, so protection is the only mitigation against injury.

Famous Catches from These Positions

Some of Test cricket's most famous catches were taken by the suicide squad — the short leg catch that creates a lbw-off-pad chance, the silly mid-on catch that dives to their left, the short leg fielder diving forward. These positions produce low-percentage but high-drama dismissals. Jonty Rhodes famously excelled at these positions because his reflexes meant he could react in time to protect himself while also taking the catch.