5 best Australian captains of all time

When you look at the role of a captain in cricket, it differs significantly from other sports. Unlike in football and other major sports where the coach plans the strategy and the captain is just a presence to oversee things on the field, in cricket, it is up to the captain to take major decisions.

Right from team selection to picking the batting order, fielding placements and bowling changes, these decisions are taken by the captain on the field.

Great teams have great leaders and some of them have been downright inspirational. Australia are one team that have had exceptional leaders. Right from Dave Gregory (Australia’s first ever captain) to Bill Lawry (Australia’s first ODI captain), Allan Border, Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting and now Steve Smith, Australia have always had excellent captains who have led from the front.

Here’s a look at five of the best.

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#5 Mark Taylor

The start of Australia’s world domination has to be credited to two people. One is Allan Border and the other, Mark Taylor. Taking over the reins from Border, Taylor stepped into his predecessor's shoes remarkably and ensured Australia turned into a ruthless side that stream-rolled almost every opponent.

Taylor’s attitude towards captaincy was simple – allow the players to play freely and the way they wanted to. A perfect example was the license he gave to Michael Slater, one of the most unheralded batsmen of his era. Taylor gave him confidence and Slater’s aggressive mindset proved decisive in many matches. In fact, nine of Slater’s Test hundreds came under Taylor.

The other stand-out aspect of Taylor’s captaincy was the message he sent out to the opposition. He always went for the win rather than settling for a draw. Then there was the sheer confidence he instilled in the team, making them believe that there was no such thing as a lost cause. 26 wins and 13 losses in Tests, and 36 wins from 67 ODIs are some very good numbers for a captain who took up the job when the team were still in transition.

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#4 Michael Clarke

Michael Clarke

Michael Clarke was an inspirational leader and the architect of some of Australia’s most famous wins. His batting also improved by leaps and bounds after he took over as captain. In 2012, he became the only player to have scored four Test double hundreds.

He managed 28 Test centuries in total, just one shy of the legendary Sir Don Bradman, with half of them coming while captaining the side.

Clarke took over the captaincy when Australia found themselves in deep despair, having lost the 2010-11 Ashes at home. He was at the helm when they regained the Ashes in 2013/14, with a 5-0 whitewash. He also became the fourth Australian captain to lift a 50-over World Cup trophy as he inspirationally led Australia in the 2015 edition at home.

He has win percentages of 51.06 and 70.42 as captain in Tests and ODIs respectively. Clarke will be remembered as a batsman with class and a captain who took the game on and emerged unscathed with an enviable record in both spheres.

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#3 Allan Border

Allan Border

When Allan Border donned the captain's hat from a tearful Kim Hughes, he knew what he was getting himself into. He openly admitted that he had his reservations but was mature enough to accept the responsibilities.

Border went 15 matches without a Test win. But by the time he was finished, he had captained Australia in 93 Tests and 178 ODIs, managing to win 32 Tests and 107 ODIs. He also led Australia to their first ever World Cup triumph, in 1987, as his side beat England by 7 runs in the final despite being behind for the most part.

Border’s captaincy dragged Australia out of the hole they had dug for themselves and transformed them into world-champions.

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#2 Steve Waugh

Steve Waugh

Following the retirement of Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh was appointed ODI captain in 1997, before taking over in both formats, in 1999. He ushered in the Australian juggernaut that demolished every nation on this planet, barring India (where he had a poor record). Under his captaincy, Australia won 16 consecutive Test matches (the streak came to an end in the famous 2001 Kolkata Test), including a whitewash of the West Indies.

He has a remarkable record as captain, both in Tests and one-dayers. As captain, Waugh has 41 Test wins (out of 57 games) and 67 ODI wins (out of 106 games), making him one of the best captains to have played for Australia.

He also led them to their second World Cup win, in 1999, becoming the first Australian to win the World Cup twice (along with Tom Moody).

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#1 Ricky Ponting

Ricky Ponting

Ricky Ponting, who made his debut in 1995, took over as the Australian ODI captain in 2002 and was a part of three successful World Cup campaigns and a 34-match winning streak in which he led in 26 of them. He was one of the most uncompromising players of his generation.

Ponting is one of the most successful captains in cricket history. He led Australia to 48 Test wins (second highest in Test history behind Graeme Smith’s 53) and 165 ODI wins (highest ever in cricket history). He led Australia in a staggering 324 international games, a record before it was broken by MS Dhoni.

He captained the Aussies to successive World Cup triumphs in 2003 and 2007, successive Champions Trophy titles in 2006 and 2009 and an Ashes whitewash in 2006/07. His captaincy was highly rated around the world and Australia became world beaters and during his tenure.

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