Top 5 South African captains of all time

#3 Shaun Pollock

Shaun Pollock took over the reins of a team still reeling from the aftermath of the match-fixing crisis

When Shaun Pollock succeeded Hansie Cronje at the helm of affairs, South African cricket was still shrouded in diffidence and desperately needed an obdurate yet endearing captain to lift them from the quagmire enforced by the infamous match-fixing scandal.

With an immense work-ethic and constant efforts at improving every facet of his game, Pollock quickly won over the public and paved the way for his team to begin regaining their support.

The all-rounder led from the front with key contributions with both bat and ball. Even though he did not exude the aura of a natural leader, Pollock's captaincy was built on unwavering commitment to the team's cause.

He led the Proteas to 8 Test series victories and 12 ODI series/tournaments successes. However, his captaincy stint met a traumatic end after a fatal miscalculation of the Duckworth-Lewis target led to South Africa's ignominious group-stage exit in the 2003 World Cup on home soil.

Captaincy Record

Tests: 14 wins and 5 losses from 26 matches

ODIs: 60 wins and 33 losses from 97 matches

T20Is: 1 loss from 1 match