Cricket fielding positions

The team batting always has two batsmen on the field. One batsman stands at the batting end of the pitch. He is known as the striker, as he faces and plays the balls bowled by the bowler. His partner stands at the bowling end and is known as the non-striker. The wicket-keeper stands behind the striking batsman. (The terms striker and batsman are used interchangeably in this article.)

The captain of the fielding team spreads his remaining nine players — the en:fielders — around the ground to cover most of the area. Their placement may vary dramatically depending on strategy. No fielder may be placed directly behind the bowler, to avoid the batsman from getting distracted. Each position on the field has a unique label.

The bowler's end umpire stands directly behind the wicket at the bowler's end, facing the batsman. The striker's end umpire, more commonly known as the square-leg umpire, stands in line with the batsman as indicated in the diagram. The bowler's end umpire is often referred to simply as the umpire, as he is responsible for most decisions.