1. Sir Donald Bradman
The greatest batsman ever to have graced the game adopted the captaincy in 1936 and Australia were never beaten in a Test series under his stewardship. An insular but ferociously driven character, Bradman led by example with the bat and set his side the goal of becoming the first team to play an entire tour of England without losing a single match ; a feat which The Invincibles achieved in the 1948 Ashes.
Record as captain: P24 W15 D6 L3
2. Allan Border
A tenacious leader and obdurate batsman, ‘AB’ reluctantly took on the captaincy during the dark days following Kim Hughes’ tearful resignation and set the foundations for subsequent domination. At the time, Border was not considered to be a natural leader but he flourished in the role and dragged Australian cricket up by its bootlaces, winning the 1987 World Cup, regaining the Ashes on English soil two years later and coming agonisingly close to defeating the mighty West Indies in 1993.
Record as captain: P93 W32 D38 L22 T1
3. Ian Chappell
Opinionated and aggressive, ‘Chappelli’ openly subscribed to the mantra of ‘winning ugly’ and never suffered a Test series defeat during his tenure. Reflecting on his time as captain after his resignation in 1975, Chappell stated: “As captain of Australia, my philosophy was simple; between 11am and 6pm there was no time to be a nice guy.” Despite his brash persona, Chappell was a masterful technician and Richie Benaud affirms in his autobiography that he was “…one of the best on-field captains I have ever seen.”
Record as captain: P30 W15 D10 L5
4. Steve Waugh
Figurehead of the all-conquering Australian side of the late 90s and early 00s, Waugh continued the good work of Border and Taylor to achieve world domination, leading by example with the bat and inspiring his troops in the field with unshakeable self-belief and a never-say-die attitude. It was under Waugh that Australia formalised an aggressive brand of cricket that saw run-rates skyrocket and left opponents trailing in their wake.
Record as captain: P57 W41 D7 L9
5. Richie Benaud
A dashing allrounder and instinctive captain, Benaud’s charismatic nature and public relations expertise helped to revitalise Australian cricket after a slump in the early 50s. By winning five of the seven Test series in which he skippered, Benaud restored Australia to the top of the Test rankings and is generally considered to be one of the greatest personalities to have played the game, with Gideon Haigh describing him as “…perhaps the most influential cricketer and cricket personality since the Second World War.”
Record as captain: P28 W12 D11 L4 T1
6. Mark Taylor
A popular and amiable character, ‘Tubs’ took over the reins from Border and instilled a sense of adventure into the Australian side. As Scyld Berry famously remarked, “Border stopped Australia losing, Taylor made them into winners.” Upon retiring as captain after Ashes victory in 1998/99, Taylor’s win ratio was bettered only by Don Bradman and Viv Richards in the post-war years.
Record as captain: P50 W26 D11 L13
7. Warwick Armstrong
A large, imposing man, Armstrong was one of a generation of cricketers whose Test career was interrupted by the First World War. Nicknamed the ‘Big Ship’, he navigated Australia to eight victories from 10 Test matches, remaining unbeaten throughout his tenure. Armstrong’s most famous achievement came in 1920/21 when his side became the first Australian team in history to complete an Ashes whitewash.
Record as captain: P10 W8 D2
Warwick Armstrong, the great captain
8. Ricky Ponting
Ponting may boast the world record for most Test victories as captain with 48, as well as sharing the record of most consecutive Test victories (16) with his predecessor Steve Waugh, but he will never shed the tag of being the captain that lost three of the four Ashes series in which he skippered. And unlike Waugh he didn’t have the luxury of quitting the role with his side at the peak of their powers, instead bowing out after a humiliating Ashes defeat to their bitter rivals.
Record as captain: P77 W48 D13 L16
9. Bill Woodfull
Calm and dependable, Woodfull was praised for his conduct during the turbulent bodyline series of 1932/33. Renowned for his strength of character, ‘Old Steadfast’ defied the bruising bodyline tactics for longer than any of his compatriots, receiving a blow to the heart for his troubles during the Adelaide Test. After his dismissal he rebuffed England manager Pelham Warner’s concern for his health, famously stating, “I do not want to see you, Mr Warner. There are two teams out there. One is playing cricket and the other is not.”
Record as captain: P25 W14 D4 L7
10. Greg Chappell
Chappell didn’t possess the same authority as his older brother Ian and his tenure was tainted by controversy, despite a largely impressive record at the helm. Appointed in 1975, he lost the captaincy two years later after joining Kerry Packer’s lucrative World Series Cricket league, but was reinstated in 1979. Yet it is for his unsporting behaviour during the ‘underarm incident’ for which he is remembered; famously described by New Zealand PM Robert Muldoon as: “The most disgusting incident I can recall in the history of cricket.”
Record as captain: P48 W21 D14 L13
No comments:
Post a Comment