Unexpected and surprising captains in cricket history

[King_Kohli]

Let see few crickets who got picked by selectors as a captain unexpectedly and surprisingly. Lets add more if you know

Graeme Smith:Smith was just 22 when he became South Africa's captain , it was unexpected call.. rest is history.

He had led the side in 109 Tests, more than anyone else in the game's history, raking up a record 53 wins and taking South Africa to No. 1 in the ICC Test rankings.

Ganguly: The decision was spurred after Azar max fixing saga, he became best Indian cricket captain.

Dhoni: Everyone shocked by selectors call, there were many senior players in team before Dhoni.


Misbah-ul-Haq: One time he has plans to quit international cricket at the end of next year if the national selectors continue to ignore him.
Misbah was 36 and had played just 19 Test matches over eight years before his captaincy debut.

"I am 36 and feel fit enough for the international arena. I'm seeking an opportunity to play the 2011 World Cup in a bid to end my international cricket on a high note. But if I'm unable to find a place in the national squad, I always have an opportunity in the domestic circuit to do so.


Tim Paine:Tim Paine had all but given up hopes of making an international comeback and was seriously contemplating a post-cricket career with sports equipment manufacturer Kookaburra. )

Then, the selectors picked him for the 2017 Ashes against England. He had not played a Test for seven years.

 

[Titan24]

Good thread. I would also add Azhar Ali in 2015-16 season when he wasnt only recalled in ODIs after a long absence but was given captaincy as well.

 

[sweep_shot]

Graeme Smith was definitely a surprising choice. He got the captaincy ahead of folks like Kallis, Boucher, Pollock etc.

 

[Hasan123]

Jason Holder being made captain was unexpected.

 

[Finisher]

Good list
Eoin Morgan being made captain of England was a surprising choice for me due to him being a part of the disastrous 2015 WC team

 

[moghul]

Except Misbah, most of the others turned out be successful leaders.

 

[msb314]

Shoaib Malik in 2007 was a surprise too as most thought it would go to YK back then.

 

[Local.Dada]

Anyone remember Lee Germon who captained New Zealand in the 96 WC. He made his debut directly as a captain and never played again after the WC if I remember correctly.

 

[tyron_woodley]

Except Misbah, most of the others turned out be successful leaders.

uhm? misbah achieved number 1 status in test cricket for a few months. No other pakistam captain of recent times came close.

 

[Mesozoic]

Surprised that no one is talking about Dhoni's appointment in 2007. Everyone was expecting Sehwag or Yuvi to be the captain after Dravid but Dhoni came as a surprise. Looking back at it, it turned out to be a masterstroke.

 

[Ramsay]

Anil Kumble(2007-08), Tatenda Taibu, Lasith Malinga( won them the 2014 T20 World Cup)

 

[MMHS]

This game started in 1877.....

First one I can recall is Tiger Pataudi - at 21 years 77 days he became the youngest Captain in history when Nari Contractor was hit by Gilchrist (almost died!) and MAK Pataudi was made Captain.

Next one is Imran - PCB made Javed Captain at 22 and invariably within a year he made lots of enemies in his team. It went to the state that, 8/9 senior members of the squad declined to play under him and PCB (BCCP) had to sack Javed and appoint a Captain - they picked the only senior guy who was in support of his Captain, without any prior experience since 1974, during his Oxford days.

History repeated it self 12 years later when 5-6 senior members went against Wasim Akram and a make shift arrangement was made - one of the leaders of the rebels was made Captain at 22....

Mike Brearley was out of squad as he didn't justify his spot in squad, let alone playing XI. Ian Botham was made Captain and England lost two players - Botham the all-rounder and a functional Captain on field. After G Chappell less Aussies made it 0-1 in 1981 Ashes, Botham stepped down and Brearley was recalled as Captain.

1980s was a volatile period for ENG team, when it comes to Captaincy - it started with Bltham-Brearly swap, then for few years Gower & Gatting steadied the ship (Gower won a Series in IND & Gatting Ashes in Australia), but 1988 WIN tour followed by 1989 Ashes saw ENG captains falling like bowling pins. Poms used 29 players in those 6 Ashes Tests in 1989, a record still stands, and that record was set a year back when WIN & SRL toured ENG. I think, ENG had 5-6 Captains in those 12 Tests - Gower, Gooch, Gatting, Embury ...... the most surprising one was a one Test Captain Chris Cowdrey, extremely successful County Captain for Kent and son of TCCB chief, Colin. CC played 5 Tests in IND 4 years back and got dropped, only to be recalled against WIN, that WIN to change ENG's fortune - unfortunately, Marshall had other ideas and he started with a duck, followed by 5 in a 10 wicket thrashing - and it ended there.

1977, Kerry Packer took top 17 Aussies players (except Thompson, he was nurturing shoulders and Packer thought it would be too risky to give him a contract) to WSC, and IND was due for 5 Tests. In short notice ACB (CA), didn't have any suitable player to lead the Test team, hence they called back 42 years old RB Simpson, who played last Test almost 10 years back in Jan 1968 (Also against IND).

In 1936, IND's first tour of UK, a gentleman, Maharaja of Vizanmgram (Sir Vijaya), financed the tour and he was made Test Captain, with a FC average of 19 as specialist batsman, and most of those FC games were arranged on his own finance, where he was "allowed to perform". Sir Vijaya, did two things of note in that series - batted at 9 as specialist bat for his average of 9, and sent Lala Amarnath back home for his table manners, when he was upset than English journalists were more focused on Lala than the Captain.

Before that, for 1932 tour (IND's first Test tour), Maharaja of Patiala was made Test Captain, but he got injured - so they found another Royalty to lead the Test side - Maharaja of Porbandar. However, this gentleman had better idea about his own cricket and he skipped the Test, handing over the Captaincy to Col. CK Naidu. In that tour, he played 4 FC games, scored 2 runs ....... and bought 4 Roles Royce, as Wisden wrote - he had more Royce in England than the number of runs he scored.

There are many, many such stories from ENG cricket, who often appointed Captain from Royalty. Also, before 1965, there was a class discrimination between Professional & Amateur cricketers (Though many such amateurs earned more than the pros and paid almost zero tax as their payment was made as "honor gift"), and TCCB's policy was not to appoint a Professional player Captain.

For WIN, I believe Al Kali was bought by WICB to skip Kerry Packer's WSC, in exchange of WIN Captaincy.

For SAF, before 1970, the rule for selecting Captaincy was - has to be white, has to be educated and has to be linked with some Royal connection - so they had few surprising choices as Captain. Last of those was Ali Bacher.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Lee Germon is the quintessential name for this choice.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Kohli is probably gone here. He is taking tactical review. Don't think he will survive.

 

[jnaveen1980]

umpire's call marginally clipping the leg stump. Ball appeared to be going down the leg on second view. Gotta say rub of the green went against him. But good spell rewarded.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Kohli is livid for 'umpire's call' lol Can't do much. But South Africans are fired up. Nortje is bowling brilliantly. His first wicket in Tests, Kohli.

 

[BaankeJi]

Lee Germon is the quintessential name for this choice.

Yeah. Debuted as captain!

 

[Ali_Pakistan]

George Bailey played his debut match as Captain.

 

[Bleedgreen4ever]

Let see few crickets who got picked by selectors as a captain unexpectedly and surprisingly. Lets add more if you know

Graeme Smith:Smith was just 22 when he became South Africa's captain , it was unexpected call.. rest is history.

He had led the side in 109 Tests, more than anyone else in the game's history, raking up a record 53 wins and taking South Africa to No. 1 in the ICC Test rankings.

Ganguly: The decision was spurred after Azar max fixing saga, he became best Indian cricket captain.

Dhoni: Everyone shocked by selectors call, there were many senior players in team before Dhoni.


Misbah-ul-Haq: One time he has plans to quit international cricket at the end of next year if the national selectors continue to ignore him.
Misbah was 36 and had played just 19 Test matches over eight years before his captaincy debut.

"I am 36 and feel fit enough for the international arena. I'm seeking an opportunity to play the 2011 World Cup in a bid to end my international cricket on a high note. But if I'm unable to find a place in the national squad, I always have an opportunity in the domestic circuit to do so.


Tim Paine:Tim Paine had all but given up hopes of making an international comeback and was seriously contemplating a post-cricket career with sports equipment manufacturer Kookaburra. )

Then, the selectors picked him for the 2017 Ashes against England. He had not played a Test for seven years.

Imran Khan in 1982 when there was a rift between two parties
Turned out to be the best decision in Pakistan cricket history

 

[Bleedgreen4ever]

uhm? misbah achieved number 1 status in test cricket for a few months. No other pakistam captain of recent times came close.

Because no other captain was given so many chances and matches

Tuk tuk captained the side for 6 years who was the last Pakistani captain that had this privilege?

 

[saabir]

Adam Holliake and Tatendra Taibu

 

[Hasan123]

Good list
Eoin Morgan being made captain of England was a surprising choice for me due to him being a part of the disastrous 2015 WC team

Morgan was the captain for the 2015 WC. It actually wasn’t a surprise that he was named captain. There was talk of him being captain months before he was named .