To represent your country at an international level, would have to be the highest ever honor any sports player could receive. The feeling of wearing your national team’s jersey and playing at some of the highest and most important tournaments, such as the ICC World Cup, can not be matched by anything else, however, the responsibility of being the captain of the team and leading from the front is a close second if not first. Becoming the captain has its own share of joy and happiness but at the same time, the stress level will also be at an all-time high. When you are a captain, your just not mentoring or captaining a team of 10 players, but the whole country, so, therefore the pressure to perform well will also be at an al;-time high. Today, we are going to be looking at those captains, who did not allow the pressure or the stress to get to them and performed well for their country.
OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN….. MOST SUCCESSFUL CAPTAINS IN INTERNATIONAL CRICKET
RICKY PONTING
First on the list is the legendary Australian batsman, Ricky Ponting. Ponting is considered by many to be one of the most successful captains in cricket history, he captained the Australian side during their “Golden Era”, he is also considered to be a great batsman, and was named “cricketer of the decade 2000”. Pointing was handed over Australia’s ODI captaincy in 2002 and led the team in 230 matches. Out of the 230 matches, Ponting-led-Australia managed to win 165 of those, with a win percentage of 76.14. Soon after, Ponting was also made the captain of the test side. He captained Australia’s test team for 77 matches and won 48 of them which also includes the astounding 5-0 ashes win over their big-time rivals, England. Ricky Ponting captained Australia in three world cups and winning the 2003 and 2007 world cups. Ponting is currently the coach of Delhi Capitals, where he is guiding the youngster Rishabh Pant in his first outing as a captain.
MS DHONI
India’s favorite captain, “Mr. Captain Cool” is second on this list. Many of us might remember him for his six that sealed the deal for India at the 2011 World Cup. Moreover, he is known for his calm and cool presence in the field. MS was made India’s and ODI and T20 captain in 2007 and the test captain in 2008. Under Dhoni, India has won the 2007 ICC World T20, the 2010 and 2016 Asia Cups, the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. Dhoni is also the captain of the IPL team, Chennai Super Kings, with whom he has won 3 IPL tournaments and 2 Champions League T20 titles. Out of the 332 matches, Dhoni has led India, he has won 178 matches with a win percentage of 53.61%. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest wicket-keeper batsmen in the world, and also one of the best captains in the world. As of now, MS has retired from all forms of the game and is currently the captain of CSK in the IPL.
GRAEME SMITH
The South African batsman, was made South Africa’s captain in 2003 and is considered by many to be South Africa’s best test captain ever. He was handed the captaincy at the age of 22, making him South Africa’s youngest ever captain. Smith is also the only player to have captained a test side for more than 100 games, he captained them for 109 matches and won 53 of them with a win percentage of 48.62%. He is one of the best test captains of all time. He also captained the South African ODI team from 2003 to 2011, and captained them for 150 matches, winning 92 of them, with a win percentage of 64.23%. In total, he has led South Africa in 286 matches and won 163, with a win percentage of 56.99%. Smith also holds the record for the most centuries (15) by a captain in test match wins.
ALLAN BORDER
The Australian great was made the captain of the legendary Australian test team in 1984 and the following year he was appointed as the ODI captain. Allan Border held many records as both a player and a captain (but most of them were broken by future legends, just how records are supposed to be) Allan Border, captained the test side for 93 matches and won 32 of them, with a winning percentage 34.40% and the ODI side for 178 matches, winning 107 of them. In total, he led Australia in 271 games and won 139 of them, with a win percentage of 51.29%.
STEPHEN FLEMING
Stephen Fleming was New Zealand’s most successful and longest-serving captain. He led New Zealand to victory in the 2000 ICC KnockOut Trophy. Fleming was appointed as New Zealand’s test captain in 1997 and led them until 2006. He captained them in 80 matches and won 28 of them. He also captained th ODI side from 1997 to 2007. In that span, he captained them in 218 matches and won 98, with a win percentage of 48.04%. In total, he captained New Zealand in 303 matches and won 128, with a win percentage of 4.20%.
These are the 5 most successful international captains in international cricket. Maybe after a few years, Virat Kohli might also be on this list.
