5 successful coaches who didn't play a single international match 

#3 John Buchanan

John Buchanan with Glenn McGrath

To the surprise of many, the man who coached Australia during the team's prime never played a single international match as a player. Forget playing an international game, John Buchanan was a below-average first-class cricketer. In 7 first-class games Buchanan played for Queensland, he scored just 160 runs at a poor average of 12.30. However, he more than made up for his poor statistics as a player with an immaculate record as a coach.

The Australians looked unbeatable at the time when Buchanan coached the side. Buchanan's illustrious career came to an end after the victorious World Cup campaign in 2007. And even though former players like Ian Chappell and Sunil Gavaskar and legendary spinner Shane Warne questioned John Buchanan's role in the Australian side time and again, Buchanan's contribution in the rise of Australian cricket cannot be undermined. The Queenslander later became the coach of IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders. Buchanan was also the New Zealand's director of cricket from 2011 to 2013.