Durban: John Buchanan's controversial multiple captaincy idea has found partial backing from South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes who feels a fielding captain can act as a "facilitator" to the normal skipper.

Rhodes, one of the greatest fielders of the game, and now Mumbai Indians fielding coach said a fielding captain can relieve some of the burdens on the team's regular skipper in a Twenty20 game.

According to Rhodes, the man in charge of the fielding would make sure fielders are into their positions quickly so the bowlers could get through the overs soon.

"You can have a guy who is responsible for fielding, if you want to call him the fielding captain that's fine," he said at Mumbai Indians base camp here.

"Also if there is an instance where the player could dive but doesn't then, without adding pressure on him, you need the guy (fielding captain) to tell him what could've been the result if only he had attempted the dive," Rhodes said.

"That's not the captain's role (to advise the fielders).

He has many other things on his head. The fielding captain is like a facilitator," he said.

Rhodes said his former captain Hansie Cronje had given him the task of monitoring the field to make sure all the players were attentive, and that helped South Africa become one of the best fielding units.