Captaining one’s national team is a moment of pride and honor for any cricketer, especially in Test cricket. South Africa, one of the most competitive teams across the globe, has also had some great captains who have helped South Africa reach some unprecedented heights.
Here, in this article, we look at some of the longest-serving Test captains for South Africa and their records in the most challenging format.
1. Graeme Smith (108 MATCHES)
An honest servant of his nation and a leader par excellence, Graeme Smith, is hands down South Africa’s most successful captain ever. During his captaincy tenure from 2003 to 2014, Smith led the team in 108 Test matches, the highest for any captain in Test cricket. He is the only South African captain with 50 wins in Test cricket and is the youngest player to captain South Africa in the longest format
2. Hansie Cronje (53 MATCHES)
Hansie Cronje, one of South Africa’s premier all-rounders and a fantastic captain, is next to feature on the list. He was the captain of the Test team from 1994 to 2000 and led the South African team in 53 Test matches. The South African team won 27, lost 11, and drew 17 games under his captaincy. By the time Cronje retired, he had a win percentage of more than 50 in Test matches, one of the best for any South African captain
3. Faf Du Plessis (36 MATCHES)
Faf du Plessis, the unorthodox right-handed middle-order batter from Pretoria, is next on the list. Plessis established himself as a trustful and worthy captain post-Graeme Smith era. He had all the qualities of a leader and hence got to captain the South African Test team from 2016 to 2020 in 36 matches. The team won 18 Test matches under his captaincy with a win percentage of 50.
4. Shaun Pollock (26 MATCHES)
Shaun Pollock, the all-time South African great, also features on the list. Pollock only had a brief stint as captain of the Test team, from 2000 to 2003, but he did pretty well. After Hansie Cronje, the then-captain was suspended from cricket in 2000 due to fixing charges, Pollock was given the enormous duty of building a strong South African side. Pollock captained the team in 26 Test matches, winning 14 with a win percentage of 53.84
5. Herbie Taylor (18 MATCHES)
Herbie Taylor was the captain of the South African Test team from 1913 to 1924. Due to his prolific and astounding batting, Taylor became a vital member of the South African team in the 1920s and was also given the responsibility of leading the team. However, his captaincy period and the record did not fare well, as the team could win only a single match in the 18 games he captained.
6. Kepler Wessels (16 MATCHES)
Kepler Wessels was first seen donning the Australian jersey as a stylish, left-handed batter. However, in 1991, Wessels joined the South African national team and was named the Test captain in 1992. From 1992 to 1994, Wessels captained South Africa in 16 Test matches and won five, lost three, and drew eight. In 1994, he retired from cricket and was replaced by Hansie Cronje.
7. Jack Cheetham (15 MATCHES)
Jack Cheetham, a right-handed middle-order batter from Cape Town, is next to feature on the list. Jack had a pretty short Test career of 24 matches, but he made a great impact on the team. In 15 of the 24 matches that Jack played, he was the captain of the team. The team won seven, lost five, and drew three matches under his captaincy.
8. Dudley Nourse (14 MATCHES)
Dudley Nourse made his Test match debut in 1935 and served his country for 17 years before retiring in 1951. He was an excellent batter and one of the most consistent, with an average of more than 53 in his 34-Test match career. He also got the opportunity to captain the Test team in 14 matches but could only win one of them, losing nine and drawing four.
9. Hashim Amla (14 MATCHES)
Hashim Amla, one of South Africa’s best opening batters and highest run scorers, is next on the list. Amla was a batter par excellence, and his numbers are Testimony to that. Nonetheless, he also got an opportunity to lead his national team in Test matches. He captained South Africa in 14 Test matches, winning four, losing four, and drawing six.
10. Jackie Mcglew (14 MATCHES)
Jackie Mcglew, one of South Africa’s star batters in the 50s, is next to feature on the list. He played as a right-handed top-order batter, scoring close to 2500 runs in 34 Test matches at an average of 42.06. He also got to lead South Africa in Test matches from 1955 to 1962 in, 14 games. The team, however, won only four games under his captaincy before he retired in 1962.
