All you need to know about England's T20I captains

While South Africa have been given the have been given the Chokers tag in cricket, the team that have choked most in the finals are England - the inventor of cricket. So far, England have reached the finals of an ICC tournament seven times, losing six of them. have choked most in the finals are England - the inventor of cricket. So far, England have reached the finals of an ICC tournament seven times, losing six of them.

The only time England won a major ICC event was in the shortest format of the sport when they defeated Australia in the final of the 2010 ICC World T20 to win the tournament after rain helped them scrape through the group stage.

In the past couple of years, England have established themselves as one of the most balanced T20 teams with star performers in every aspect of the sport. They are currently ranked 2^nd in the ICC Twenty20 rankings.

Ever since playing their first T20I in 2005, England’s T20 team has been captained by nine different players. Here’s all you need to know about each of the nin English T20I captains.

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#1 Michael Vaughan

Michael Vaughan led England to their maiden T20I win

By the time T20 internationals came into existence, Michael Vaughan was already in his early 30s and gradually entering the twilight of his career. Nevertheless, he managed to play two T20Is for England, captaining them in both, thus becoming England’s first ever T20 skipper.

Vaughan captained England in their first ever T20I against Australia at Southampton where he scored a duck. However, England registered a 100-run win over their old rivals by dismissing them out for a paltry 79.

Vaughan missed England’s next two T20 matches against Sri Lanka and Pakistan due to injuries but led them during the one-off T20 against Australia at Sydney which was held a few months before the 2007 World Cup.

Australia posted a mammoth total of 221 but England could only manage 144 in reply and Vaughan scored a 21-ball 27. This was to be Vaughan’s final T20 match as he ended his T20I career with a captaincy record of 50%.

Matches Captained	Won	Lost	Tied	NR	Win Percentage
2	1	1	-	-	50%

#2 Andrew Strauss

England lost all three T20Is in which Strauss captained them

Strauss played four T20Is for England, captaining in three of them. In his four T20I appearances, Strauss scored 73 runs at an average of 18.25 with his highest score being a 21-ball 33 against Sri Lanka at Southampton.

Strauss had a disastrous captaincy stint with the England T20 team as England lost all three matches under his leadership. The closest that England came to winning a T20 match under him was against Sri Lanka where England fell short by 2 runs. Strauss’ final T20 match as a skipper and a player came against West Indies at Port of Spain in 2009.

As captain of the Test team, Andrew Strauss may have led England to some memorable victories but as of now, he is undoubtedly England’s most unsuccessful T20 skipper.

Matches Captained	Won	Lost	Tied	NR	Win Percentage
3	0	3	-	-	0%

#3 Paul Collingwood

Collingwood led England to its only ICC silverware

One of the finest fielders of all-time, Paul Collingwood is not only one of England’s best cricketers days but unarguably, their most successful T20 captain ever, having captained England in more T20Is than any other player.

Collingwood played 35 T20 internationals for England, scoring 583 runs at an average of 18.80 and a strike rate of 127.01, striking three 50s with 79 being his highest T20I score.

Out of the 35 T20Is that he played, Collingwood captained England in 30 of those, winning 17 of those and losing 11, with two matches being abandoned. The current Durham skipper led England to their finest cricketing hour by leading them to victory at the 2010 ICC World T20.

Collingwood was disappointing with the bat but was brilliant on the field throughout the competition, taking four catches.

Upon England’s return from the tournament, his captaincy was highly praised but a year later, he was replaced by Stuart Broad.

Matches Captained	Won	Lost	Tied	NR	Win Percentage
30	17	11	-	2	60.71%

#4 Alastair Cook

Alastair Cook led England in one T20I

One of England’s greatest batsmen ever, Alastair Cook played 4 T20Is for England, scoring 61 runs at an average of 15.25 and a strike-rate of 112.96. Cook captained England in just one T20 match and that was against South Africa at Centurion in the absence of regular skipper Paul Collingwood.

South Africa posted a total of 241 on the board thanks to knocks of 88 and 94 from openers Graeme Smith and Loots Bosman respectively. However, England could only manage 157/8 with Cook scoring his highest T20I score of 26 from 21 deliveries. This match was his final match for the England T20 team.

Matches Captained	Won	Lost	Tied	NR	Win Percentage
1	0	1	-	-	0%

#5 Stuart Broad

Broad captained England in two T20 World Cups

England’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is, Stuart Broad represented England in 56 matches, picking up 65 wickets at an average of 22.93 and at an economy rate of 7.62 with 4/24 being his best bowling figures.

Broad replaced Paul Collingwood as the captain of the England T20 team and went on to lead them in 27 matches, winning 11, losing 15, and 1 match being abandoned.

The lanky pacer led England at two T20 World Cups in 2012 and 2014 with the Three Lions winning a total of three matches out of nine in both tournaments combined. The six defeats also include an embarrassing 45-run defeat to Netherlands at the 2014 World T20. Broad was eventually replaced by Eoin Morgan.

Matches Captained	Won	Lost	Tied	NR	Win Percentage
27	11	15	-	1	42.30%

#6 Graeme Swann

Swann led England to victory in two of the three T20Is where he was the captain

Graeme Swann was one of the finest T20 spinners during his playing days and is undoubtedly England’s finest spinner in the shortest format, having picked up 51 wickets in 39 matches at an impressive average of 16.84 and an equally impressive economy rate of 6.36.

When West Indies toured England in September 2011 for a two-match T20 series, both skipper Stuart Broad and vice-captain Eoin Morgan were injured and as a result, Swann led them during the series where the Three Lions won the first game and lost the second.

Swann captained England in their one-off T20 against India a few weeks later where they comprehensively defeated India. Despite his impressive captaincy record in three matches, he was never given another opportunity to continue as the skipper of the T20 team as Broad was preferred.

Matches Captained	Won	Lost	Tie	NR	Win Percentage
3	2	1	-	-	66.67%

#7 James Tredwell

Tredwell’s only T20I as captain was washed out

This may come as a surprise but James Tredwell was the captain of the England T20 team for one match; on paper that is. Best remembered for his spell of 4/43 against West Indies which took England to the quarter-finals of the 2011 World Cup, Tredwell played 17 T20Is, taking only 7 wickets at a disappointing average of 59.42 and an economy of 7.87.

During New Zealand’s tour of England in 2013, the Kiwis had beaten England in the first T20I by 5 runs and in the second T20I at The Oval, Tredwell was supposed to lead England in place of Eoin Morgan. England came out to bat first and just as they lost their opening wicket in the second ball of the match, rain interrupted play.

Play never resumed and Tredwell did not get the chance to display his leadership abilities.

Matches Captained	Won	Lost	Tied	NR	Win Percentage
1	0	0	-	1	NA

#8 Jos Buttler

England have won both T20Is when they were led by Jos Buttler

One of England’s finest and most aggressive middle-order batsmen, Buttler is currently England’s fourth-highest run-getter in T20Is with 984 runs in 56 matches at an average of 26.59 and at an impressive strike rate of 139.77 with an unbeaten 49-ball 73 against Sri Lanka at Southampton last year being his highest T20I score.

Currently the vice-captain of the England limited-overs teams, Buttler captained the England T20 team on two occasions. The first of them coming against Pakistan at Dubai when the Somerset-born player deputised for Eoin Morgan. Buttler scored a 22-ball 33 with the bat as England reached 172/8 in their 20 overs.

Pakistan fought hard but thanks to Liam Plunkett’s three-wicket spell, England edged out the Men in Green by three runs to seal the T20 series 2-0.

Buttler’s second match as skipper came a few weeks back during England’s final T20 against South Africa nearly a month after the conclusion of the Champions Trophy. Buttler once again faced 22 balls, scoring 31 as England reached 181/8 in 20 overs thanks to David Malan’s 44-ball 78.

In reply, South Africa could make only 162 courtesy of the three-wicket and two-wicket spells from Chris Jordan and Tom Curran respectively with the latter conceding only 5.5 runs an over. England won the match and the series with Buttler winning his second consecutive match as T20 skipper.

Matches Captained	Won	Lost	Tied	NR	Win Percentage
2	2	0	-	-	100%

#9 Eoin Morgan

Morgan led England to the final of the 2016 World T20

England’s highest run-scorer in T20Is, Eoin Morgan has led the team in more T20Is than most of their other skippers. In 69 T20Is, the former Ireland cricketer has scored 1574 runs at an average of 29.14 and a strike rate of 131.05 with a 45-ball 85 against South Africa being his highest T20I score.

Morgan has represented England at five T20 World Cups including their victorious 2010 World T20 campaign where he top-scored for England in both their group games as well as during their Super 8 match against New Zealand.

He first captained England during their two-match T20 series against India, scoring a match-winning 26-ball 49 in the last game to level the series at 1-1. Following England’s Super 10 exit at the 2014 ICC World T20 where they lost to Netherlands, Morgan was appointed England’s T20 skipper, replacing Stuart Broad.

So far, Morgan has led England in 26 T20Is, winning 13, losing 12 and 1 match getting tied. The left hander’s biggest achievement as England’s T20 skipper is leading them to the final of the 2016 ICC World T20.

With a win percentage of 51.92%, Morgan is England’s second most successful T20 skipper for any player who has captained the Three Lions in more than 10 T20Is.

Matches Captained	Won	Lost	Tied	NR	Win Percentage
26	13	12	1	-	51.92%