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The 10 Greatest Test Captains

chris jones

Cricket Spectator
Who are the 10 greatest test captains of all time?

1. Allan Border
2. Mike Brearley
3. Clive Lloyd
4. Imran Khan
5. Ian Chappell,Sir Frank Worrell(Add on)
6. Sourav Ganguly
7. Sir Viv Richards
8. Steve Waugh
9. Ricky Ponting
10. Stephen Fleming, Graeme Smith

What’s your take readers ?
 

NUFAN

Y no Afghanistan flag
I was just doing a bit of a look at the Captains recently who have captained 25 matches or more (for sheep draft question).

Found it interesting just how good Pontings stats compare with Steve Waughs. Mike Brearley had the most successful % so he'd have to be a very good shot at number 1.

I think Mark Taylor should be in contention as I always think of him as a better skipper over Captain Grumpy, ofcourse I admire Border for his brilliant batting and appreciate that he didn't have the team Taylor had.

How good was Sobers? Was he happy with drawing Test Matches considering in his 39 matches in charge he had 20 draws.
 
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Naumaan

First Class Debutant
Who are the 10 greatest test captains of all time?

1. Allan Border
2. Mike Brearley
3. Clive Lloyd
4. Imran Khan
5. Ian Chappell,Sir Frank Worrell(Add on)
6. Sourav Ganguly
7. Sir Viv Richards
8. Steve Waugh
9. Ricky Ponting
10. Stephen Fleming, Graeme Smith

What’s your take readers ?
Sourav Ganguly???
In the list of all times best test captains?
Strange!!!!!!
Don't just go by stats, see the leadership qualities
 

bagapath

International Captain
Sourav Ganguly???
In the list of all times best test captains?
Strange!!!!!!
Don't just go by stats, see the leadership qualities

imran's claim to fame as captain was the fact that he led his team to victories in india and england. won the world cup. and captained three successive drawn series against west indies, the best team in the world of his time.

saurav ganguly led india to a drawn series in england. but he did his lead his team to a victory in pakistan. and to a world cup final. he drew the series against australia in australia but won the home series 2-1, something imran could not achieve against west indies. so, if imran could be in any such list so can ganguly.

but we are talking captaincy here. in all honesty, both are highly over-rated as captains. as individual cricketers imran was a legend whereas ganguly was merely good. despite this difference, somehow their similar aggressive attitude that united their teams is held, correctly, in their favor. but the fact remains that neither one was ever leading a world beating team, despite having some very fine cricketers in their teams, like a lloyd, waugh or ponting. they were merely adequate and their legend is big only when seen through the cultural prism. otherwise their achievements as skippers are nothing to crow about.

viv richards, who never lost a test series as skipper and mark taylor who broke the west indian hegemony for close to two decades deserve to be on this list more than these two.
 

Naumaan

First Class Debutant
imran's claim to fame as captain was the fact that he led his team to victories in india and england. won the world cup. and captained three successive drawn series against west indies, the best team in the world of his time.

saurav ganguly led india to a drawn series in england. but he did his lead his team to a victory in pakistan. and to a world cup final. he drew the series against australia in australia but won the home series 2-1, something imran could not achieve against west indies. so, if imran could be in any such list so can ganguly.

but we are talking captaincy here. in all honesty, both are highly over-rated as captains. as individual cricketers imran was a legend whereas ganguly was merely good. despite this difference, somehow their similar aggressive attitude that united their teams is held, correctly, in their favor. but the fact remains that neither one was ever leading a world beating team, despite having some very fine cricketers in their teams, like a lloyd, waugh or ponting. they were merely adequate and their legend is big only when seen through the cultural prism. otherwise their achievements as skippers are nothing to crow about.

viv richards, who never lost a test series as skipper and mark taylor who broke the west indian hegemony for close to two decades deserve to be on this list more than these two.
what i said, Ganguly had big players in his side, ponting had & has legends in his side
i don't know anything about Imran khan, never saw him play
can't comment on the list which was given above, but know Ponting, Ganguly & if i remember Fleming is in the list, so i know him too, i rate Fleming higher than both Ganguly & Ponting, cuz he had relatively modest line up
Ponting is so lucky to be captain of the Australian line up
didn't really comment about Ganguly cuz he's from india, or i wanted to say that Pakistani captain was better than indian captain
 

bagapath

International Captain
what i said, Ganguly had big players in his side, ponting had & has legends in his side
i don't know anything about Imran khan, never saw him play
can't comment on the list which was given above, but know Ponting, Ganguly & if i remember Fleming is in the list, so i know him too, i rate Fleming higher than both Ganguly & Ponting, cuz he had relatively modest line up
Ponting is so lucky to be captain of the Australian line up
didn't really comment about Ganguly cuz he's from india, or i wanted to say that Pakistani captain was better than indian captain
didnt look at it that way, mate.

i had written a similar comment on imran and ganguly three years ago and it didnt need a pakistani forum member to inspire me then. so treat it as an opinion from a true cricket fan, please.
 

Trumpers_Ghost

U19 Cricketer
Who are the 10 greatest test captains of all time?

1. Allan Border
2. Mike Brearley
3. Clive Lloyd
4. Imran Khan
5. Ian Chappell,Sir Frank Worrell(Add on)
6. Sourav Ganguly
7. Sir Viv Richards
8. Steve Waugh
9. Ricky Ponting
10. Stephen Fleming, Graeme Smith

What’s your take readers ?
1. Allan Border - yeah somewhere on the list
2. Mike Brearley - no way, couldn't even justify his spot in Eng's team. not in Engs top 10
3. Clive Lloyd - Yeah, Somewhere on the list
4. Imran Khan - Yeah, Somewhere on the list, by far their best ever
5. Ian Chappell, - Probably on the list
Sir Frank Worrell - higher up
6. Sourav Ganguly - not sure, maybe on the list
7. Sir Viv Richards - no
8. Steve Waugh - by success yes, but was not particularly imaginative
9. Ricky Ponting - see S.Waugh
10. Stephen Fleming - borderline, team wasn't particularly successful but
Graeme Smith - probably not, too early to judge, not fully convinced

My List

1. Sir Frank Worrell
2. Imran Khan
3. Warwick Armstrong
4. Clive Lloyd
5. Richie Benaud
6. Don Bradman
7. Arjuna Ranatunga
8. Allan Border
=9. Steve Waugh/Ricky Ponting/Fleming/Ganguly


Note I couldn't find an Englishman worthy (possibly as I am not learned enough of their history) and I think I know why. Back in the days of the empire, the English tended to be captained by "Gentlemen" - who tended to be average players (generalisation) and hence were never on the scene long. I'm sure there's an Englishman or 2 from the WWII to 1970 period that is escaping my warped memory.

cheers
 

Trumpers_Ghost

U19 Cricketer
1.Douglas Jardine
2.The rest
Jardine was scum!

Average player who put his own ego ahead of the best interest of the game, the reputation of his team, and the good relations between firm allies. Pissed on the graves of Australians who had fought for England in the first world war, while his daddy was wipping servants in India. Poor Player. Poor Human Being.
 
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Naumaan

First Class Debutant
didnt look at it that way, mate.

i had written a similar comment on imran and ganguly three years ago and it didnt need a pakistani forum member to inspire me then. so treat it as an opinion from a true cricket fan, please.
sure
 

fredfertang

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Jardine was scum!

Average player who put his own ego ahead of the best interest of the game, the reputation of his team, and the good relations between firm allies. Pissed on the graves of Australian's who had fought for England in the first world war, while his daddy was wipping servants in India. Poor Player. Poor Human Being.
Your evidence to support that nonsensical stream of invective being what exactly?
 

Trumpers_Ghost

U19 Cricketer
Your evidence to support that nonsensical stream of invective being what exactly?
The bit about his daddy come from an image of him in my mind based on the fact that he was scum.

Bit about the graves was metaphor.

Bit about him being a poor player and poor human being is all fact.

Never did anything positive for cricket; doesn't belong anywhere near this list.

:)
 

fredfertang

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
The bit about his daddy come from an image of him in my mind based on the fact that he was scum.

Bit about the graves was metaphor.

Bit about him being a poor player and poor human being is all fact.

Never did anything positive for cricket; doesn't belong anywhere near this list.

:)
I see - I couldn't possibly argue with such a concise, closely reasoned and eloquent argument 8-)
 

SJS

Hall of Fame Member
Jardine was scum!

Average player who put his own ego ahead of the best interest of the game, the reputation of his team, and the good relations between firm allies. Pissed on the graves of Australians who had fought for England in the first world war, while his daddy was wipping servants in India. Poor Player. Poor Human Being.
A very thoughtful, considered, sober assessment indeed :dry:
 

Trumpers_Ghost

U19 Cricketer
Perhaps you could explian how he was a quality player, fully deserving of his place in an otherwise strong England team.
or
How he was really a good bloke and misunderstood and had the game's best interests at heart all along.
:laugh:

I won't put up logical and reasoned argument, as (you may have noticed) I don't think him worthy of me reaching for a book and researching logical reasons (did I mention the word scum).

But if you believe me to be wrong, then go ahead. I probably won't take any of it to heart, but I will read it and respect it as another point of view.

cheers
 

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