While Ben Stokes continues to stamp his mark on England cricket’s main man, time will eventually tell where the talismanic all-rounder lies in the echelons of those lay claim to be one of the Greatest Test Captains to lead the Three Lions.
England Cricket Legends: 5 Greatest Test Captains
The aggressive nature of Stokes, in partnership with head coach Brendon McCullum, has led to some spectacular results, but the all-or-nothing approach has also seen a fair share of disappointments – not least by a 2-1 series loss in Pakistan most recently, despite their record-breaking win in the first Test – a game which Stokes himself missed due to injury.
Time will be the judge of Stokes’ leadership but here is a look at arguably the five best captains to have led the Three Lions.
Greatest Test Captains: Mike Brearley (1977-1981)
While statistics are very much part of determining success or not in cricket, there is so much more to a player or captain than mere numbers on a page. Looking at Brearley as a player will perhaps have plenty wondering what he was doing in the side as he scored 1442 runs from 66 innings at an average of a mere 22.88, with only nine fifties to his name and no centuries.
However, his success was not down to his own actions but rather those he could invoke out of his fellow team-mates and there has arguably been no-one better in the game. Brearley captained England 31 times, winning 18 of those Tests and losing just four, with his finest moment coming in 1981. He was returned to the captaincy after Ian Botham stood down having made a pair at Lord’s which left England 1-0 down in the Ashes series, eventually winning 3-1 after a dramatic turnaround in the third Test at Headingley.
Greatest Test Captains: Botham’s Ashes
The hosts were staring down the barrel at 135-7 after following on, but a scintillating unbeaten 149 from Botham, 56 from Graham Dilley and a devastating spell of bowling from Bob Willis (8-43) saw England win that Test by a mere 18 runs, before taking an unassailable lead with victories in the next two.
The players will take plenty of plaudits but Brearley proved time and time again he could get the best out of his players with his unrivalled man-management skills, and has taken his expert knowledge beyond the game as a psychoanalyst, psychotherapist, journalist, motivational speaker and published author – with “the Art of Captaincy”.
Greatest Test Captains: Michael Vaughan (2003-2008)
Nasser Hussain should get credit for helping England start heading in the right direction, but Michael Vaughan proved to be an inspirational leader for England, leading his side to arguably their most thrilling Test series win, seemingly against all odds. After drawing his first series as captain and losing his third, Vaughan turned England into a wholly more competitive force, enjoying an unbeaten year in 2004 before the crowning glory of his reign coming the following summer.
The Yorkshireman had starred for England as a batsman on the previous tour of Australia, averaging 63.30 from 10 innings despite losing the series 4-1, but he went further as captain, ending Australia’s Ashes dominance in a thrilling 2-1 series success, which came against all expectations. After Australia won the first Test by 239 runs, Vaughan’s men edged nervy two-run and three-wicket victories and along with two draws, the Ashes were finally won back.
Greatest Test Captains: Douglas Jardine (1931-1934)
While this may not go down well with some, Douglas Jardine had an impressive record as England skipper, and came up with an “innovative” gameplan to combat the strengths of the sport’s greatest ever player, Sir Don Bradman.
While the “Bodyline” approach may have won few friends, it certainly worked as England won the Ashes series in Australia 4-1 in 1932-33, with Jardine finishing with a record of nine wins, five draws and just one defeat from his 15 matches in charge.
Greatest Test Captains: Sir Len Hutton (1952-55)
Sir Len Hutton became England’s first ever professional captain and was a fine batsman – there will be many who feel he is still England’s greatest ever. The Yorkshire great scored 6971 runs at an average of 56.67, carrying the burden of leadership alongside to great effect. Hutton led England to victory in five of his six series as captain, winning 11 of his 23 Tests and losing only four, which included back-to-back Ashes wins in 1953 (1-0) and 1954-55 (3-1).
Greatest Test Captains: Andrew Strauss (2006-12)
Andrew Strauss must take some credit for leading the modern England to the top of the ICC rankings, despite inheriting the role after the side had been trounced 5-0 in the Ashes under Andrew Flintoff. Not everything was plain sailing for the gritty left-hander but as well as reaching top spot, he ended England’s 24-year wait for an Ashes win in Australia in 2010-11, with the Three Lions having not even won a single Test since.
Strauss hit the half-century as captain, fifth on England’s all-time list, finishing with a record of 24 wins, 11 losses and 15 draws.
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