Great players who never got to become captain of their teams

[Equinox]

I am talking about becoming official Test captain. Some players were given captaincy on a temporary basis so that won't count when compiling this list.

Adam Gilchrist
Shane Warne
Matthew Hayden
Glen McGrath
Curtly Ambrose

You got any others?

Looks like Mark Boucher, Jaques Kallis and Mohammad Yousuf are about to join this list.

[Paradox]

Do you mean 'greats' as in the legend-type of greats, like the ones we all look up to? Or 'greats' as in personal favorite great players?

[Paradox]

Anyways, there aren't too many great players who've never gotten to lead their side. It's because their respective cricket boards have always usually noted their achievements and milestones that the player has achieved for the country and treated them like they deserve to be.

[Poison]

Shoaib

[Paradox]

Ah, I actually took time to think hard about this and I've thought of a pretty shocking one - Saeed Anwar. Can't believe he wasn't ever made captain, he did serve Pakistan cricket for a long time and did it quite well.

[Paradox]

Shivnarine Chanderpaul? He's captained West Indies for around 14 Tests and 16 ODIs but wasn't ever assigned captaincy for a prolonged period of time, was he? Only a replacement captain, right?

[Paradox]

Ramnaresh Sarwan as well.. was assigned captaincy after the 2007 World Cup when Brian Lara retired, but an injury forced him out of the game for some time. When coming back, he was the vice captain under Chris Gayle.

[fawad_wellwisher]

Desmond Haynes and Gordon Greenidge and all their fast bowlers of 80's of WI.

[waqar_ahmad]

Originally Posted by Equinox I am talking about becoming official Test captain. Some players were given captaincy on a temporary basis so that won't count when compiling this list. Adam Gilchrist Shane Warne Matthew Hayden Glen McGrath Curtly Ambrose You got any others? Looks like Mark Boucher, Jaques Kallis and Mohammad Yousuf are about to join this list.

Not all great players make good captains.

The only player in the list, who would have made a great captain, is shane warne. All the others were never captaincy material.

And Hayden is not a "great" player.

[AZ]

he deserved it the most, but never got his opportunity

[pakcricketfan]

Shane Warne tops the list.

[Romali_rotti]

My old man might say Majid Khan..

[Wassixpakistani]

Misbah-ul-haq...............

[HuZi]

Originally Posted by Wassixpakistani Misbah-ul-haq...............

NEVER say that again

[saeed-sohail]

Originally Posted by Paradox Ah, I actually took time to think hard about this and I've thought of a pretty shocking one - Saeed Anwar. Can't believe he wasn't ever made captain, he did serve Pakistan cricket for a long time and did it quite well.

Saeed anwer did captain pakistan on full time basis in 1997 against SA when lost 3 match series 1/0 when we famously collapsed chasing
138 after that Saeed being an honorable man resigned say that he can't lead a team who does not want to win.

[saeed-sohail]

Rao iftikhar anjum.

[Wassixpakistani]

Originally Posted by HuZi NEVER say that again

He won his 1st game as captain and that was against................ India and then that T20 where Aus was annihilated . Although not a Great player but still I believe he should have been given a little time time at captaincy ...

[Gulf of Gold]

Originally Posted by saeed-sohail Rao iftikhar anjum.

he deserves the most :iRao

[Fish]

Originally Posted by waqar_ahmad And Hayden is not a "great" player.

Sorry son but Hayden is a "great". He is not only a great test player but also one of the greatest ODI players. Probably one of the three best openers ever to play cricket.

[MIG]

Fish - can you pls do an introduction thread in our introductions forum ? you will be in good company with OZGOD and Random Aussie...

[fahimszd]

From Pakistan: Shoaib Akhtar, M.Yousaf b'coz both of them have won lots of matches for Pakistan but we know why shoaib is not a captain, and Moyo, I think he is not a great captain, because to be a good captain and to be a good player is a different thing.

[Muhammad]

Originally Posted by saeed-sohail Saeed anwer did captain pakistan on full time basis in 1997 against SA when lost 3 match series 1/0 when we famously collapsed chasing 138 after that Saeed being an honorable man resigned say that he can't lead a team who does not want to win.

Don't recall him saying any such thing but his batting form had completely deserted him, he looked very desperate indeed and stated that he was happy to be free from leading the side allowing him to focus on his batting.

He returned to skipper against SL in 2000, Pak lost the series he was injured and out for a while and in the meantime Moin Khan took over.

Don't think he ever coveted it.

[Afridi_Fan]

[Seen Sheen]

Originally Posted by Wassixpakistani Misbah-ul-haq...............

[Seen Sheen]

Muralitharan should be in that list
and Abdul Qadir maybe?!

[arsalan660]

Brett Lee.

[Seen Sheen]

Originally Posted by arsalan660 Brett Lee.

I was also pondering over Binga's inclusion but I think you cant call him a great yet..or can we?

[AZ]

not yet

[classiccricket]

how about mohammad sami??

[Bouncer]

Originally Posted by fawad_wellwisher Desmond Haynes and Gordon Greenidge and all their fast bowlers of 80's of WI.

Kiddo.....Haynes captaioned Windies...and so did Gorden vs Pak in 88 (who else would have done it when viv and malcolm were out for first test that was won by pak)

[saeed-sohail]

How can I forget ashish *bahan ki ***** tumari * nehra.

[Mohsin]

[Boi]

Originally Posted by Wassixpakistani Misbah-ul-haq...............

Misbah is not a 'Great' player, the thread starter mentioned the word 'Great', he shouldnt even be in the team right now anyways.

[Yaser]

jayasuriya ?

[waqar_ahmad]

jaya has captained lanka, and wasnt that good

[Equinox]

Hmm I should've mentioned that the players must have retired from Test cricket.

[xkalibur80]

Originally Posted by Ahmed Zulfiqar he deserved it the most, but never got his opportunity

Good player - no doubt

Captain material - definitely not!

[Equinox]

A great by no means but considering his contribution to Bangladeshi cricket it is surprising that Mohammad Rafique never became captain. Especially since even players like Naimur Rahman and Khaled Mahmud got to captain Bangladesh.

Allan Donald?

[Cover Drive]

Three players from pakistan
Mohammad Yousuf
Shoaib Akhtar
Abdul Razzaq

[Equinox]

^Again they are not retired so you can't completely rule them out from becoming captain. And Razzaq not really a "great."

[Cover Drive]

Originally Posted by Equinox ^Again they are not retired so you can't completely rule them out from becoming captain. And Razzaq not really a "great."

For Mohammad Yousuf and Shoaib Akhtar you can rule them out since Younus Khan has been appointed captain till 2011 WC and these two player said they will play till 2011 WC

As far Abdul Razzq is concerned if Malik can become a captain then I see no reason Abdul Razzaq becoming a captain.

[pakistani pride]

Shane warne and Murli. Would have been a sight to see these to captain their test teams.

[AZ]

Originally Posted by xkalibur80 Good player - no doubt Captain material - definitely not!

why?

[AZ]

Originally Posted by pakistani pride Shane warne and Murli. Would have been a sight to see these to captain their test teams.

why?

[wiseguy]

miandad

[AZ]

Miandad did captain Pakistan

[Equinox]

Yes Murali is a big one. Sri Lanka's best player of all-time but wasn't given captaincy.

[AZ]

Murali never struck me as much of a team player, I think captaincy would have interfered too much with his bowling

[Khalil]

Great or outstanding players are not neccesarily of captaincy material. Can you ever imagine Hershelle Gibbs being a captain of the Protea side.

[Equinox]

Originally Posted by Khalil Great or outstanding players are not neccesarily of captaincy material. Can you ever imagine Hershelle Gibbs being a captain of the Protea side.

But then again Gibbs is/was not a great. Maybe he had the potential to be one though.

[sultanator]

Malinga?
________
Iolite vaporizer review

[sali]

I wonder if Zaheer Abbas and Bakwas Nawaz were ever captain? Can you imagine playing under Bakwas!

[mindless slogging]

?

But there is still time.

[Wassixpakistani]

Originally Posted by Boi Misbah is not a 'Great' player, the thread starter mentioned the word 'Great', he shouldnt even be in the team right now anyways.

In that case , Umar Gul..................

[Blitz]

Saqlain Mushtaq.

Mushtaq Ahmed.

[iafzal]

Originally Posted by Ahmed Zulfiqar he deserved it the most, but never got his opportunity

Great player but not Captain material

[Random Aussie]

Some people on here need to revisit the word "great"

Brett Lee is not a great, neither is Malinga. Neither is Abul Razzaq for Pete's sake.

And not often great player makes great captain. Best Aus captain I have seen was Mark Taylor and he was not great.

[Seen Sheen]

Originally Posted by Random Aussie Some people on here need to revisit the word "great" Brett Lee is not a great, neither is Malinga. Neither is Abul Razzaq for Pete's sake. And not often great player makes great captain. Best Aus captain I have seen was Mark Taylor and he was not great.

also one such example is of Mike Brearly..not a great batsman but earned the reputition of being one of the best captains for England

[Bublu Bhuyan]

The great Curtly Ambrose instantly comes to mind.

[fawad_wellwisher]

Originally Posted by sali I wonder if Zaheer Abbas and Bakwas Nawaz were ever captain? Can you imagine playing under Bakwas!

Zaheer captained Pak in the tour of India in the 80's. Nawaz on the other hand never was given this opportunity.

[fawad_wellwisher]

Dennis Lillee would also fall under this category as would Rod Marsh I believe.

[Liverpool_Faizan]

was aravinda di silva ever captain?

glenn mcgrath - although he never deserved it due to his antics.
Nathan Astle
Ambrose
Thorpe?

[fawad_wellwisher]

Originally Posted by Liverpool_Faizan was aravinda di silva ever captain? glenn mcgrath - although he never deserved it due to his antics. Nathan Astle Ambrose Thorpe?

Great! Gimme a break.

[adarsh_bang]

what about kallis ?? donald ?? ambrose ??

and i dont see yuvraj or sehwag captaining india ever .. sp maybe i'll be entering their names in this list 10 years from now

[Liverpool_Faizan]

Originally Posted by fawad_wellwisher Great! Gimme a break.

u clearly dont know much about cricket if u dont think graham thorpe or astle were great players. especially thorpe. yes they werent on par with some of the biggest players but they were in fact GREAT.

[dblock]

Originally Posted by Ahmed Zulfiqar he deserved it the most, but never got his opportunity

Yousuf did have a few games as captain, he's not very vocal nor has strong body language that might get the best out of others.

So fair call on him not being given a long run as captain.