Top 5 South African captains of all time

#1 Graeme Smith

Graeme Smith's strong persona and relentless approach made him a natural leader

If one were to go by longevity and numbers, very few captains can match Graeme Smith's remarkable record. He remains the only captain in Test history to lead any team in 100 or more matches and the only skipper to win 50 or more matches.

However, the opener's legacy is much more than mere statistics. His intuitive style of captaincy went a long way in adding steel to South African cricket. When he was surprisingly chosen as Shaun Pollock's successor, the southpaw was just 22 and had played a grand total of 30 international matches across formats. Not many would have expected him to become one of the greatest leaders of all-time.

Extra Cover: South Africa's best XI since readmission

Upon possessing a bunch of talented players, South Africa needed a leader with vision and credence. Smith had them and then some. With his inspirational leadership, he fashioned a team in his own image - unflappable and tenacious.

The left-hander led South Africa to the number one position in all three formats simultaneously. More pertinently, his team performed splendidly away from home and gained worldwide respect.

In an era where every other team struggled outside their comfort zones, the Proteas cruised to two successive Test series victories each in England and Australia. Such feats would not have been possible were it not for Smith's unrelenting determination which rubbed off on his team mates too.

Captaincy Record

Tests: 53 wins and 29 losses from 109 matches

ODIs: 92 wins and 51 losses from 150 matches

T20Is: 18 wins and 9 losses from 27 matches