Strongest Test XI featuring 11 Captains

Test cricket has undoubtedly been the most competitive format of the game. Spanning for five long days, Test proves to be a hectic affair for any player. This very format is known to test the basics of cricketer to the fullest which is why the name Test cricket.

Hence, being such a challenging format, Test cricket is known to have produced one of the greatest legends in the history of cricket. More so, we have also witnessed some greatest captains to have fared the game of cricket - Graeme Smith, Ricky Ponting, MS Dhoni, Steve Waugh, Stephen Fleming, and the list goes on.

Safe to say, in Test cricket, captains have been the most important player in their respective teams because a good share of results have been said to be dependent on the course of actions of the captains.

Hence, think of a world Test XI including 11 great captains with each bringing his values to the table. Thus, let us have a look at the strongest Test XI comprising 11 captains.

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#1 Graeme Smith (South Africa)

Graeme Smith took South African cricket to new heights

Graeme Smith, the South African veteran, was by far the most successful captain in the history of Test cricket. With a tally of 53 Test wins, Smith happens to be the only captain to have achieved the feat of 50 or more Test wins as a captain. Besides, being an exceptional captain, Smith also boasted to be one of the best openers in the history of Test cricket.

Having featured in 117 matches, Graeme amassed 9265 runs at an astounding average of 48.25 which also include 38 fifties and 27 centuries with the best score being 277.

Interestingly, he captained in 109 matches out of 117 games that he played. Hence, he remains the fourth youngest player to have assumed the role of the skipper of his team in Test cricket.

Thus, with an impressive captaincy record and excellent batting skills, Graeme Smith happens to be a decent choice for an opening batsman who could also add to the value of the side with his inputs.

#2 Stephen Fleming (New Zealand)

Stephen Fleming, the New Zealand great, was a central figure in the New Zealand side in the 90s. Fleming was known to have a sharp mind which he used quite effectively. Unquestionably, Fleming was the best ever captain cum player that New Zealand ever produced.

From 111 matches he played, Fleming scored 7172 runs at an average of 40.06 which also include 46 fifties and nine centuries with the best score being 274*.

But there was one more thing that Fleming did better than batting - captaincy. With 28 wins from 80 matches as a captain, Fleming is the most successful Test captain in the history of New Zealand cricket. Hence, his addition to this playing XI will only add to the strength of the side.

#3 Ricky Ponting (Australia) (Captain)

With minimal doubts, Ponting is the greatest ever captain to have played for Australia. His aggressive brand of cricket was the highlight of his career both as a captain as well as a batsman. The biggest USP of Ponting was his searing hunger to win matches, and at times the frenzy did lead to some odious episodes but what gleamed through his career was the absolute desire to be triumphant.

Having captained Australia in 77 Tests, Ponting won 48 matches which call for a record of most wins as an Australian captain and second most wins as a captain overall till date. Moreover, Ricky also has the second-best winning percentage as a captain amongst all other captains in the history of Test cricket.

Besides, his batting records were no different than his captaincy records - extraordinary. With 13378 runs at an average of 51.85, Ponting holds the record for the second highest run-scorer after the GOAT Sachin Tendulkar. In addition to that, he also had 62 fifties and 41 centuries with the best score of 257 against his name.

Thus, with such exceptional records both as a captain as well as a batsman, Ponting will unquestionably be a player to have for any team. Hence, Ponting will be the one to captain this playing XI.

#4 Clive Lloyd (West Indies)

Clive Lloyd, West Indies' greatest captain ever, was one of the key players in the shaping West Indian cricket in the late 70s. With a long moustache and heavy glasses, Lloyd stood 6 feet 5 inch tall. With a tactical mind and some prominent batting abilities, Clive was a complete player who added strength to his side.

Clive captained West Indies in 74 Tests. West Indies won 36 Test under the tutelage of Lloyd. He was the most successful captain in the history of West Indian cricket.

To add to his captaincy records, he had some outstanding numbers as a batsman too. Lloyd scored 7515 Test runs at an average of 46.67 which also include 39 fifties and 19 centuries with the best score being 242*. Hence, his place in this playing XI.

#5 Steve Waugh (Australia)

Another Australian tactician to feature in this list is Steve Waugh. Waugh was one of the very few captains who mastered the art of winning matches from losing positions. With equable mind, Steve was known to make the opposition bite dust with his tactics. Waugh captained Australia in 57 Tests and won 41 out of them which call for an exceptional winning percentage of 71.92.

His batting exploits were no mystery as he scored 10927 runs at an average of 51.06 which also include 50 fifties and 32 centuries with the best score being 200. He was the third highest run-scorer in the history of Australian cricket.

#6 MS Dhoni (India) (Wicket-keeper)

MS Dhoni, the Indian legend, has been one of the most successful captains in the history of cricket. Suppose a filtering software that could filter players as per keywords. Let the keywords be: best, wicket-keeper, batsman, and captain. The only player to pass the filter would be none other than MS Dhoni. Enough said. Right?

MS Dhoni captained India in 60 Tests and helped India win 27 of them. He remains the first Indian captain to have served his team to attain the No.1 spot in Test rankings. Well, MS holds a long list of such records.

Besides, he was more than an able batsman in Tests. Having played 90 Tests, he amassed 4876 runs at an average of 38.09 which also include 33 fifties and six centuries with the best score being 224.

#7 Kapil Dev Nikhanj (India)

Another Indian great to feature in this playing XI is Kapil Dev Nikhanj. Fondly known as Haryana Hurricane, Kapil Dev boasts to be the best all-rounder that India ever had. He was known for his aggressive style of play and some fiery bowling.

Kapil played 131 matches for India and scored 5248 runs at an average of 31.05 which include 27 fifties and eight centuries with the best score being 163. Moreover, with 434 wickets, Kapil was the second highest wicket-taker in the history of Indian cricket.

Kapil Dev had a very ordinary Test record as a captain. He played 34 Tests as a captain out of which he won 4 Tests. Nonetheless, with such all-round abilities, Kapil happens to be a worthy addition to this side.

#8 Imran Khan (Pakistan)

Imran Khan has been the most influential figure in the history of Pakistan be it cricket or politics. Imran was one the of the best all-rounders that Pakistan ever produced. Moreover, he was a great captain too. He happens to be the only Pakistan captain to have his hand over the 50-over World Cup.

Imran captain Pakistan in 48 Tests and won 14 of them. Unquestionably, Imran Khan boasts to be the best Pakistan captain ever. Besides, he was also a handy batsman who dominated the lower middle-order slot.

Imran amassed 3807 Test runs at an average of 37.69 which include 18 fifties and six centuries with the best score being 136. Besides, he also scalped 362 Test wickets with the best match figures reading as 14 for 116. Hence, any side would be lucky to have a player like Imran Khan.

#9 Shaun Pollock (South Africa)

Another bowling all-rounder to have a place in this side is the South African legend Shaun Pollock. Very few know that Pollock is the third most successful captain that South Africa ever witnessed in the history of Test cricket. Besides, he was one of the best bowling all-rounders that South Africa ever had.

Having captained South Africa in 26 Tests, Pollock won 14 Test as a captain with a winning percentage of 53.84. Furthermore, he had some fabulous numbers both as a batsman as well as a bowler.

Pollock scored 3871 runs at an average of 32.31 which include 16 fifties and two centuries with the highest score being 111. In addition to that, he grabbed 421 wickets with the best match figures being 10 for 147. Pollock is also the highest wicket-taker for South Africa in Tests tied with Dale Steyn's current tally of 421 wickets.

#10 Daniel Vettori (New Zealand)

Daniel Vettori, New Zealand's legendary spinner, had been a central figure of New Zealand cricket for a long time. His sumptuous bowling skills and decent batting hand ranked him high on the list of best all-rounders in the scheme of Test cricket.

Vettori played 32 matches as a captain and won six of them. Although he didn't achieve great things in Test cricket as a captain, his bowling and batting records made up for it.

Vettori scored 4531 runs at an average of 30.00 which include 23 fifties and six centuries with the best score being 140. In addition to that, he scalped 362 wickets at an average of 34.36 with the best match figures being 12 for 149.

Thus, Vettori will add variety to this side with his more than good spin bowling and decent batting.

#11 Wasim Akram (Pakistan)

Wasim Akram will complete this playing XI of captains. His bowling exploits are no secret. Akram was one of the fiercest bowlers in the history of Test cricket. With an ability to dance the red cherry in the air, he kept batsmen on their toes. To complete his bowling arsenal, he also had a good stock of yorkers that he used effectively to surprise the batsman. Additionally, he was also a useful batsman and a reasonably good captain.

Wasim captained Pakistan in 25 Tests and became victorious on 12 occasions. With 12 Test wins, Akram was one of the most successful Pakistani captains.

Having featured in 104 Tests, Wasim amassed 2898 runs at an average of 22.64 which also include seven fifties and three centuries with the best score reading as 257*. Furthermore, he also had 414 wickets against his name with the best match figures being 11 for 110.

Hence, with such great stats, Wasim Akram happens to be a must-have affair in this list.