Top 5 South African captains of all time

#4 Faf du Plessis

Faf du Plessis is widely regarded as the best captain in the current era

A man of strong character, Faf du Plessis is South Africa's current captain across all three formats of the game. His leadership mettle can be discerned from the fact that a star cricketer like AB de Villiers faced intense pressure from various quarters to give up the ODI captaincy. With astute strategic skills and commendable man-management ability, he has rapidly established himself as one of the best captains in the present era.

Extra Cover: Faf du Plessis - No longer in the shadows

Faf du Plessis's career has not been without controversies. Yet, he has managed to rise above off-field turbulence and media hassle by exuding palpable calmness. The right-hander's composed response to ball tampering allegations embodied his level-headed nature.

His spirited leadership was among the key reasons for South Africa's 2-1 Test series triumph in Australia. If he leads his country to the hitherto elusive World Cup glory in 2019, du Plessis should be able to cement his legacy in the annals of South African cricket.

*Captaincy Record

Tests: 9 wins and 3 losses from 15 matches

ODIs: 8 wins and 1 loss from 9 matches

T20Is: 19 wins and 13 losses from 32 matches

(*Note: All Statistics are accurate as of 5th October 2017