Top 5 England captains of all time

#1 Mike Brearley

Mike Brearley's imaginative captaincy alone was enough to merit a spot in the playing eleven

One of the shrewdest captains to grace the game, Mike Brearley redefined England cricket with his innovative leadership. The extent to which the team management valued his captaincy skills can be discerned from the fact that he played 39 Tests as a specialist batsman with a modest average of 22.88. With a powerful bowling attack comprising of the irrepressible Bob Willis and Sir Ian Botham at the height of his powers, the Cambridge-educated skipper created a formidable unit in the late 70s.

Extra Cover: Cricket’s Commanders-in-chief - Mike Brearley

Among all captains who have led their respective teams in at least 25 Tests, Brearley's win-loss ratio of 4.50 has been bettered only by Steve Waugh (4.55) and Virat Kohli (currently at 6.33). His tranquil approach and unflappable temperament rubbed off on his team mates, not least of all Botham.

The iconic all-rounder, who had been on a downward spiral, lifted himself under Brearley's stewardship and almost single-handedly helped England retain the fabled Ashes urn in 1981. A maiden appearance in the World Cup final (1979) was also among the high points of his captaincy career.

Captaincy Record

Tests: 18 wins and 4 losses from 31 matches

ODIs: 15 wins and 9 losses from 25 matches