Top 5 Players with most matches as captain in cricket.

The Ashes 1981

The game of cricket has witnessed many captains, some good and some bad. The pressure of captaining a team is very different from playing as an individual player. There have been many great individual players who have failed to become good captains, like Sachin Tendulkar. Sometimes, the pressure become so much that the captain starts getting affected and cannot play properly.

It is a common saying that the captain is only as good as his team. However, a captain's decisions can have great influence on the game. A captain always has tough calls and bold decisions to make. Yet, a true captain is one who believes in the decisions that he has taken. He is not afraid to take the blame for the loss of the team and credit his team for the win. The role of a captain many time goes unappreciated and it is many times a thankless job.

In this list today, we will look at the some players who were able to withstand the pressure of captaincy and were able to captain their team for long. Thus, we look at the 5 players who remained captains for the most number of matches.


#5 Allan Border (271 Matches) (Australia)

Allan Border became the captain of Australia at a time when they were really struggling and were at their lowest point. He became the captain of the team in 1985 and then helped Australia become world champions in 1987. He is one of the most important players for Australia in their cricketing history. In fact, every year the best Australian cricketer or the Australian player of the year is awarded with the Allan Border medal.

Having captained Australia in 271 matches, Allan Border won 139 matches, lost 89 matches and tied 2 while drawing 38 matches. He had a win record of 51.29% and a win to loss ratio (W/L) of 1.56.

Allan Border was known for his fearless approach. He took some bold decisions that stunned the opposition and more often than not turned the match in his team's favour.

#4 Graeme Smith (286 Matches) (South Africa)

South Africa v Australia - 3rd Test: Day 4
Smith was not only a great player but also a great captain.

After a disastrous World Cup campaign at home in 2003, South Africa decided to make Graeme Smith the captain of the South African team at just 22. Smith led his nation with aplomb for a decade and he took them to the top of the ladder in both Tests and ODIs. He liked to do things his own way and under him the team was nurtured to become one of the most feared teams in international cricket.

Smith captained South Africa in 286 matches. He won 163 matches as a captain having lost 89 matches. He tied in 1 match and drew 27 times. Further, Smith as a captain had a win record of 56.99% and a win to loss ratio(W/L) of 1.83.The appointment of Graeme Smith as South Africa's captain was a masterstroke. No doubt that he was a great player but his biggest contribution is that he rebuilt the confidence of the South African team. Smith was made captain of the South African team at the age of 22, the youngest South African captain.

#3 Stephen Fleming (303 matches) (New Zealand)

New Zealand Nets Session
Fleming's captaincy numbers are not very impressive yet he features 3rd in our list.

Fleming was the captain of the Kiwis for a total of 303 matches. He is the only player on this list who has lost more matches than winning. As a captain, Fleming won 128 matches whilst losing 135. He also drew on 25 occasions having tied in 2. He had a win record of 42.24% and a win to loss ratio(W/L) of 0.94. Fleming will go down in history as the longest and probably the most successful captain of his country in a career that spanned 15 years. He captained a not so strong side for most of his career, which probably explains why his record as a captain is not comparable to other players on this list.

#2 Ricky Ponting (324 Matches) (Australia)

Australia v England - T20 Game 1
Ricky Ponting has won two World Cups as captain

Ponting captained Australia in 324 matches winning 220 of them and losing only 77. He tied 2 matches and drew in 13. His captaincy numbers are crazy good and by far the best, he has a win record of 67.90% and a win to loss ratio(W/L) of 2.85. Ricky Ponting is the greatest Australian captain and arguably the greatest captain in the history of cricket. Ponting led Australia to 26 undefeated games in world cup. What makes him a special captain is not only that he has an astonishing unbelievable record but that he is one of the best batsmen to have played the game. He is the 3rd highest run scorer in the history of cricket.

As per statistics, there is no better captain than Ricky Ponting in the history of cricket.

#1 MS Dhoni (331 Matches) (India)

Winning Captain's Press Conference - 2011 ICC World Cup
There is nothing that Dhoni has not won as a captain.

What makes Dhoni arguably the best captain ever is that he has taken some very bold decisions as a captain. For instance, in the 2007 T20 world cup final, Dhoni decided to give the ball to an inexperienced Joginder Sharma, a move that worked out. Similarly, in the 2013 champions trophy final, Dhoni decided to bowl out Ishant Sharma despite him being particularly expensive. Moreover, Ms Dhoni has been a captain who has not always had the best of sides. In fact, he has nurtured an Indian team and is fully responsible for their success.

Under Dhoni's captaincy, India has achieved everything and every possible major trophy in cricket. India won the 2007 T20 world cup, 2011 ODI world cup, 2013 champions trophy and even attained the number 1 rank in test cricket.

Dhoni has won 178 matches and lost 120 matches as a captain. He has tied in 5 and drawn 15 matches. Dhoni has a win percentage of 53.77% and a win to loss ratio of 1.48. Dhoni might not be having the best of numbers because of his average record as a test captain. But as an ODI captain, there is no denying that he has a great record and is the best ODI captain ever, even above Ricky Ponting for having won every possible major Trophy.

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Edited by Neeraj Manivannan