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Captains in first tests
- Thread starter Pratters
- Start date
Starfighter
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Dave Gregory and James Lillywhite a good call.
Tony Lewis too.
Tony Lewis too.
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morgieb
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Smith wasn't the captain in his first Test. He did become one when he was really young though. The only real answer I can think of is that Gibbs was probably viewed as non-viable because of his role in the match-fixing scandal, Kirsten was about to retire and they probably didn't want to burden Boucher, so there weren't a lot of viable captaincy options for South Africa after Pollock was sacked.
For Germon, CricInfo says:
"After the controversy during the tour of RSA in 1994-5 and the poor form during the home centenary season immediately following that, the administration of the New Zealand game at the top level fell apart. Part of the shake-up involved appointing a new coach (Glenn Turner) and this, in turn, led to a change of New Zealand captain. Turner wanted someone with proven leadership skills, who had the respect of the players, and who could maintain discipline both on and off the field by his own example. He had no hesitation in going for Lee Germon, a player with no previous Test experience, but who had been on the tour of South Africa and had proven leadership skills at provincial level"
For Germon, CricInfo says:
"After the controversy during the tour of RSA in 1994-5 and the poor form during the home centenary season immediately following that, the administration of the New Zealand game at the top level fell apart. Part of the shake-up involved appointing a new coach (Glenn Turner) and this, in turn, led to a change of New Zealand captain. Turner wanted someone with proven leadership skills, who had the respect of the players, and who could maintain discipline both on and off the field by his own example. He had no hesitation in going for Lee Germon, a player with no previous Test experience, but who had been on the tour of South Africa and had proven leadership skills at provincial level"
Starfighter
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Indeed he did.
TheJediBrah
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He was only 21 or 22 at the time as well.
Loved Graeme Smith, the batsman. As a kid I watched that series in England where he made 277 and 254 in back to back (or close enough) Tests. Good memories of staying up late watching Foxtel instead of sleeping for school.
Loved Graeme Smith, the batsman. As a kid I watched that series in England where he made 277 and 254 in back to back (or close enough) Tests. Good memories of staying up late watching Foxtel instead of sleeping for school.
wpdavid
Hall of Fame Member
Tony Lewis back in the day when the senior pros opted out of touring India. Nigel Howard did the same in the 1950s for England.
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StephenZA
Hall of Fame Member
Pollock then Boucher was captain initially after the Cronje debacle when Smith started his test career, think Kirsten was VC. But Smith had been an early pick as a future captain, having captained quite a bit at previous levels. CSA then wanted a clean break of leadership from Cronje so went for the Smith as captain after Pollock lost captaincy following WC debacle. I think injury to Pollock played a role as well.
fredfertang
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
George Mann and Frank Mann
fredfertang
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
The fact they had a family brewing business doubtless helped their popularity amongst their teammates
_Ed_
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I wondered about Floyd Reifer in that depleted WI team in 2009. But he'd played a few tests a decade earlier.
In Compton's book he says that George Mann was very popular because in that era there were a lot of social events that they had to attend, and Mann regarded it as his duty to attend the dull ones, while letting other players go to the enjoyable ones.
Apart from in each country's first ever Test (except Pakistan, who were captained by Abdul Hafeez Kardar who'd already played for India), Cricinfo lists 23 debutant captains: 12 for England (mostly in early tours to various countries), 7 for South Africa, Betancourt and Grant for West Indies in the 1929-30 England tour when they had a different captain for each Test, Vizianagram for India's 1936 tour of England, and Lee Germon.
Apart from in each country's first ever Test (except Pakistan, who were captained by Abdul Hafeez Kardar who'd already played for India), Cricinfo lists 23 debutant captains: 12 for England (mostly in early tours to various countries), 7 for South Africa, Betancourt and Grant for West Indies in the 1929-30 England tour when they had a different captain for each Test, Vizianagram for India's 1936 tour of England, and Lee Germon.
a massive zebra
International Captain
I remember when Floyd Reifer played his first few Tests in the late 1990s, Geoff Boycott was commentating and he said something like (I'm paraphrasing here):
"Jeez.... The West Indies have let some shocking players into their side recently. Reifer keeps coming forward to short balls. He hasn't even mastered basic batting fundamentals that you learn at school. My mum could bat better than this guy."
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