5 Selfish captains in cricket history

4. Steve Smith

Amongst batsman to play at least 50 Test matches, Steve Smith’s average of 62.84 is only second to Sir Don Bradman’s unreal 99.94. Started as a leg-spinner, Smith had a phenomenal rise as a batsman- since 2014 he averages 71.91, creating and shattering records for fun match after match. But Smith as in the role of a skipper hasn’t been the finest Australia has had.

Australia under Smith has won 18 out of 34 matches and lost 10. Not only Smith isn’t a good strategical thinker when it comes to captaincy, but he also participated in one of the most disgraceful acts in cricket history.

Yes, we are talking about the Sandpaper-gate scandal in South Africa in 2018. The ‘leadership group’ comprising Smith and David Warner – only a few know who else was involved in it – asked or rather ordered youngster Cameron Bancroft to use the sandpaper on the ball in order to generate more reverse-swing.

Bancroft, who had played only 7 Tests before the game in Cape Town, was caught tampering the ball. It was revealed that Warner was the main instigator of this idea. That Smith allowed Warner to intimidate Bancroft – who would want to obey their superiors to remain in their good books – is itself evidence of his docile character as a leader.

Neither Smith nor Warner did the tampering themselves, they used the youngster as a pawn. Smith is a great Test batsman, however, as a leader of men, as a captain, he seemed impotent that day in South Africa, as exemplified by the fact that he even envisaged this sort of disgraceful act, let alone not to stop it or confront Warner.