Rating top 10 best captains of all time

The legend has it that Edward J. Smith, captain of the infamous Titanic, felt he had let himself and his troops down when the ship sank in 1912. As portrayed in the James Cameroon film in 2012, he locked himself in a room and didn’t try to save himself. The incident doesn’t clearly embody how a leader should be, but it shows how the responsibility of so many can take a toll on you.

The game of cricket was lucky enough to witness some outstanding leaders in its rich history. The role of a captain in this sport compared to many others is way more significant and tough and not delivering the expected result could result in a severe backlash from the fans, especially for the big sides like India, England and Australia.

Here’s a list of the 10 best captains the game has seen in these years, who created a pathway for many budding cricketers and also inspired a whole new generation to take this sport as a profession.

10. Hansie Cronje

Although remembered for the wrong reasons in cricket history books, Hansie Cronje was South Africa‘s most prolific sporting personality in the post-apartheid period. The all-rounder was their most enigmatic and influential figure in the late 90s before match-fixing allegations drove him away from the game.

It was a tough period for South African cricket to regather momentum after a very long ban, but with an able leader in Cronje at the helm, the transition was pretty smooth. He is often credited for the development of Shaun Pollock, Lance Klusenar and the next generation superstars like Mark Boucher as well.

His stats speak for how amazing he was during his tenure. In 138 ODIs as a captain, his side won 99 games and in the longest format, his side won 27 of the 53 games. Cronje passed away in a tragic plane crash in 2004.