List of Australia national cricket captains

The Captain's Walk is a series of busts representing the captains of the Australian Test cricket team in Cootamundra, New South Wales

This is a list of the men, women and boys who have been the official Australian captains in Tests, ODIs and Twenty20 Internationals.

Australia participated in the first Test match in cricket in 1877, the first One Day International in 1971 (both against England) and the first Twenty20 international in 2005 (against New Zealand). In addition to officially sanctioned international matches and tours organised by the Australian Cricket Board (now known as Cricket Australia), there have been two major rebel Australian sides. In the 1970s many of Australia's leading players signed up for Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket and played in a number of SuperTests against other international sides. Then in the mid-1980s there were two rebel Australian tours to South Africa, which was at that time banned from official competition because of the apartheid regime then in force there. The captains of those Australian sides are also listed below.

Test match captains

This is a list of cricketers who have captained the Australian cricket team for at least one Test match (not including vice-captains and other players who have deputised on the field for any period of time during a match where the captain has been unable to play). Where a player has a dagger (†) next to a Test match series in which he captained at least one Test, that denotes that player deputised for the appointed captain or were appointed by the home authority for a minor proportion in a series. The dagger classification follows that adopted by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack.

The table of results is complete up to the fourth Test against India in March 2017.

Australian Test match captains
Number	Name	Year	Opposition	Location	Played	Won	Lost	Drawn
1	Dave Gregory	1876–77	England	Australia	2	1	1	0
		1878–79	England	Australia	1	1	0	0
		Total			3	2	1	0
2	Billy Murdoch	1880	England	England	1	0	1	0
		1881–82	England	Australia	4	2	0	2
		1882	England	England	1	1	0	0
		1882–83	England	Australia	3	1	2	0
		1882–83	England	Australia	1	1	0	0
		1884	England	England	3	0	1	2
		1884–85†	England	Australia	1	0	1	0
		1890	England	England	2	0	2	0
		Total			16	5	7	4
3	Tom Horan	1884–85	England	Australia	2	0	2	0
4	Hugh Massie	1884–85†	England	Australia	1	1	0	0
5	Jack Blackham	1884–85†	England	Australia	1	1	0	0
		1891–92	England	Australia	3	2	1	0
		1893	England	England	3	0	1	2
		1894–95†	England	Australia	1	0	1	0
		Total			8	3	3	2
6	Tup Scott	1886	England	England	3	0	3	0
7	Percy McDonnell	1886–87	England	Australia	2	0	2	0
		1887–88	England	Australia	1	0	1	0
		1888	England	England	3	1	2	0
		Total			6	1	5	0
8	George Giffen	1894–95	England	Australia	4	2	2	0
9	Harry Trott	1896	England	England	3	1	2	0
		1897–98	England	Australia	5	4	1	0
		Total			8	5	3	0
10	Joe Darling	1899	England	England	5	1	0	4
		1901–02	England	Australia	3	2	1	0
		1902	England	England	5	2	1	2
		1902–03	South Africa	South Africa	3	2	0	1
		1905	England	England	5	0	2	3
		Total			21	7	4	10
11	Hugh Trumble	1901–02†	England	Australia	2	2	0	0
12	Monty Noble	1903–04	England	Australia	5	2	3	0
		1907–08	England	Australia	5	4	1	0
		1909	England	England	5	2	1	2
		Total			15	8	5	2
13	Clem Hill	1910–11	South Africa	Australia	5	4	1	0
		1911–12	England	Australia	5	1	4	0
		Total			10	5	5	0
14	Syd Gregory	19121	South Africa	England	3	2	1	0
		19121	England	England	3	0	1	2
		Total			6	2	2	2
15	Warwick Armstrong	1920–21	England	Australia	5	5	0	0
		1921	England	England	5	3	0	2
		Total			10	8	0	2
16	Herbie Collins	1921–22	South Africa	South Africa	3	1	0	2
		1924–25	England	Australia	5	4	1	0
		1926	England	England	3	0	1	2
		Total			11	5	2	4
17	Warren Bardsley	1926†	England	England	2	0	0	2
18	Jack Ryder	1928–29	England	Australia	5	1	4	0
19	Bill Woodfull	1930	England	England	5	2	1	2
		1930–31	West Indies	Australia	5	4	1	0
		1931–32	South Africa	Australia	5	5	0	0
		1932–33	England	Australia	5	1	4	0
		1934	England	England	5	2	1	2
		Total			25	14	7	4
20	Vic Richardson4	1935–36	South Africa	South Africa	5	4	0	1
21	Don Bradman	1936–37	England	Australia	5	3	2	0
		1938	England	England	4	1	1	2
		1946–47	England	Australia	5	3	0	2
		1947–48	India	Australia	5	4	0	1
		1948	England	England	5	4	0	1
		Total			24	15	3	6
22	Bill Brown	1945–46	New Zealand	New Zealand	1	1	0	0
23	Lindsay Hassett1	1949–50	South Africa	South Africa	5	4	0	1
		1950–51	England	Australia	5	4	1	0
		1951–52	West Indies	Australia	4	4	0	0
		1952–53	South Africa	Australia	5	2	2	1
		1953	England	England	5	0	1	4
		Total			24	14	4	6
24	Arthur Morris	1951–52†	West Indies	Australia	1	0	1	0
		1954–55†	England	Australia	1	0	1	0
		Total			2	0	2	0
25	Ian Johnson	1954–55	England	Australia	4	1	2	1
		1954–55	West Indies	West Indies	5	3	0	2
		1956	England	England	5	1	2	2
		1956–57	Pakistan	Pakistan	1	0	1	0
		1956–57	India	India	2	2	0	0
		Total			17	7	5	5
26	Ray Lindwall	1956–57†	India	India	1	0	0	1
27	Ian Craig	1957–58	South Africa	South Africa	5	3	0	2
28	Richie Benaud |	1958–59	England	Australia	5	4	0	1
		1959–60	Pakistan	Pakistan	3	2	0	1
		1959–60	India	India	5	2	1	2
		1960–61†	West Indies	Australia	5	2	1	22
		1961	England	England	4	1	1	2
		1962–63	England	Australia	5	1	1	3
		1963–64†	South Africa	Australia	1	0	0	1
		Total			28	12	4	122
29	Neil Harvey	1961†	England	England	1	1	0	0
30	Bob Simpson	1963–64	South Africa	Australia	4	1	1	2
		1964	England	England	5	1	0	4
		1964–65	India	India	3	1	1	1
		1964–65	Pakistan	Pakistan	1	0	0	1
		1964–65	Pakistan	Australia	1	0	0	1
		1964–65	West Indies	West Indies	5	1	2	2
		1965–66	England	Australia	3	1	0	2
		1966–67	South Africa	South Africa	5	1	3	1
		1967–68	India	Australia	2	2	0	0
		1977–78	India	Australia	5	3	2	0
		1977–78	West Indies	West Indies	5	1	3	1
		Total			39	12	12	15
31	Brian Booth	1965–66†	England	Australia	2	0	1	1
32	Bill Lawry	1967–68†	India	Australia	2	2	0	0
		1968	England	England	4	1	1	2
		1968–69	West Indies	Australia	5	3	1	1
		1969–70	India	India	5	3	1	1
		1969–70	South Africa	South Africa	4	0	4	0
		1970–71	England	Australia	5	0	1	4
		Total			25	9	8	8
33	Barry Jarman	1968†	England	England	1	0	0	1
34	Ian Chappell3,4	1970–71†	England	Australia	1	0	1	0
		1972	England	England	5	2	2	1
		1972–73	Pakistan	Australia	3	3	0	0
		1972–73	West Indies	West Indies	5	2	0	3
		1973–74	New Zealand	Australia	3	2	0	1
		1973–74	New Zealand	New Zealand	3	1	1	1
		1974–75	England	Australia	6	4	1	1
		1975	England	England	4	1	0	3
		Total			30	15	5	10
35	Greg Chappell4	1975–76	West Indies	Australia	6	5	1	0
		1976–77	Pakistan	Australia	3	1	1	1
		1976–77	New Zealand	New Zealand	2	1	0	1
		1976–77	England	Australia	1	1	0	0
		1977	England	England	5	0	3	2
		1979–80	West Indies	Australia	3	0	2	1
		1979–80	England	Australia	3	3	0	0
		1979–80	Pakistan	Pakistan	3	0	1	2
		1980	England	England	1	0	0	1
		1980–81	New Zealand	Australia	3	2	0	1
		1980–81	India	Australia	3	1	1	1
		1981–82	Pakistan	Australia	3	2	1	0
		1981–82	West Indies	Australia	3	1	1	1
		1981–82	New Zealand	New Zealand	3	1	1	1
		1982–83	England	Australia	5	2	1	2
		1982–83	Sri Lanka	Sri Lanka	1	1	0	0
		Total			48	21	13	14
36	Graham Yallop	1978–79	England	Australia	6	1	5	0
		1978–79	Pakistan	Australia	1	0	1	0
		Total			7	1	6	0
37	Kim Hughes	1978–79†	Pakistan	Australia	1	1	0	0
		1979–80	India	India	6	0	2	4
		1981	England	England	6	1	3	2
		1982–83	Pakistan	Pakistan	3	0	3	0
		1983–84	Pakistan	Australia	5	2	0	3
		1983–84	West Indies	West Indies	5	0	3	2
		1984–85†	West Indies	Australia	2	0	2	0
		Total			28	4	13	11
38	Allan Border	1984–85	West Indies	Australia	3	1	1	1
		1985	England	England	6	1	3	2
		1985–86	New Zealand	Australia	3	1	2	0
		1985–86	India	Australia	3	0	0	3
		1985–86	New Zealand	New Zealand	3	0	1	2
		1986–87	India	India	3	0	0	32
		1986–87	England	Australia	5	1	2	2
		1987–88	New Zealand	Australia	3	1	0	2
		1987–88	England	Australia	1	0	0	1
		1987–88	Sri Lanka	Australia	1	1	0	0
		1988–89	Pakistan	Pakistan	3	0	1	2
		1988–89	West Indies	Australia	5	1	3	1
		1989	England	England	6	4	0	2
		1989–90	New Zealand	Australia	1	0	0	1
		1989–90	Sri Lanka	Australia	2	1	0	1
		1989–90	Pakistan	Australia	3	1	0	2
		1989–90	New Zealand	New Zealand	1	0	1	0
		1990–91	England	Australia	5	3	0	2
		1990–91	West Indies	West Indies	5	1	2	2
		1991–92	India	Australia	5	4	0	1
		1992	Sri Lanka	Sri Lanka	3	1	0	2
		1992–93	West Indies	Australia	5	1	2	2
		1992–93	New Zealand	New Zealand	3	1	1	1
		1993	England	England	6	4	1	1
		1993–94	New Zealand	Australia	3	2	0	1
		1993–94	South Africa	Australia	3	1	1	1
		1993–94	South Africa	South Africa	3	1	1	1
		Total			93	32	22	392
39	Mark Taylor	1994–95	Pakistan	Pakistan	3	0	1	2
		1994–95	England	Australia	5	3	1	1
		1994–95	West Indies	West Indies	4	2	1	1
		1995–96	Pakistan	Australia	3	2	1	0
		1995–96	Sri Lanka	Australia	3	3	0	0
		1996–97	India	India	1	0	1	0
		1996–97	West Indies	Australia	5	3	2	0
		1996–97	South Africa	South Africa	3	2	1	0
		1997	England	England	6	3	2	1
		1997–98	New Zealand	Australia	3	2	0	1
		1997–98	South Africa	Australia	3	1	0	2
		1997–98	India	India	3	1	2	0
		1998–99	Pakistan	Pakistan	3	1	0	2
		1998–99	England	Australia	5	3	1	1
		Total			50	26	13	11
40	Steve Waugh	1998–99	West Indies	West Indies	4	2	2	0
		1999	Sri Lanka	Sri Lanka	3	0	1	2
		1999–2000	Zimbabwe	Zimbabwe	1	1	0	0
		1999–2000	Pakistan	Australia	3	3	0	0
		1999–2000	India	Australia	3	3	0	0
		1999–2000	New Zealand	New Zealand	3	3	0	0
		2000–01	West Indies	Australia	4	4	0	0
		2000–01	India	India	3	1	2	0
		2001	England	England	4	4	0	0
		2001–02	New Zealand	Australia	3	0	0	3
		2001–02	South Africa	Australia	3	3	0	0
		2001–02	South Africa	South Africa	3	2	1	0
		2002–03	Pakistan	Sri Lanka and the UAE	3	3	0	0
		2002–03	England	Australia	5	4	1	0
		2003	West Indies	West Indies	4	3	1	0
		2003	Bangladesh	Australia	2	2	0	0
		2003–04	Zimbabwe	Australia	2	2	0	0
		2003–04	India	Australia	4	1	1	2
		Total			57	41	9	7
41	Adam Gilchrist	2000–01†	West Indies	Australia	1	1	0	0
		2001†	England	England	1	0	1	0
		2004†	Sri Lanka	Australia	1	1	0	0
		2004–05	India	India	3	2	0	1
		Total			6	4	1	1
42	Ricky Ponting	2003–04	Sri Lanka	Sri Lanka	3	3	0	0
		2004	Sri Lanka	Australia	1	0	0	1
		2004–05†	India	India	1	0	1	0
		2004–05	New Zealand	Australia	2	2	0	0
		2004–05	Pakistan	Australia	3	3	0	0
		2004–05	New Zealand	New Zealand	3	2	0	1
		2005	England	England	5	1	2	2
		2005–06	World XI	Australia	1	1	0	0
		2005–06	West Indies	Australia	3	3	0	0
		2005–06	South Africa	Australia	3	2	0	1
		2005–06	South Africa	South Africa	3	3	0	0
		2005–06	Bangladesh	Bangladesh	2	2	0	0
		2006–07	England	Australia	5	5	0	0
		2007–08	Sri Lanka	Australia	2	2	0	0
		2007–08	India	Australia	4	2	1	1
		2008	West Indies	West Indies	3	2	0	1
		2008–09	India	India	4	0	2	2
		2008–09	New Zealand	Australia	2	2	0	0
		2008–09	South Africa	Australia	3	1	2	0
		2008–09	South Africa	South Africa	3	2	1	0
		2009	England	England	5	1	2	2
		2009–10	West Indies	Australia	3	2	0	1
		2009–10	Pakistan	Australia	3	3	0	0
		2009–10	New Zealand	New Zealand	2	2	0	0
		2010	Pakistan	England	2	1	1	0
		2010–11	India	India	2	0	2	0
		2010–11	England	Australia	4	1	2	1
		Total			77	48	16	13
43	Michael Clarke	2010–11†	England	Australia	1	0	1	0
		2011	Sri Lanka	Sri Lanka	3	1	0	2
		2011–12	South Africa	South Africa	2	1	1	0
		2011–12	New Zealand	Australia	2	1	1	0
		2011–12	India	Australia	4	4	0	0
		2011–12	West Indies	West Indies	3	2	0	1
		2012–13	South Africa	Australia	3	0	1	2
		2012–13	Sri Lanka	Australia	3	3	0	0
		2012–13	India	India	3	0	3	0
		2013	England	England	5	0	3	2
		2013–14	England	Australia	5	5	0	0
		2013–14	South Africa	South Africa	3	2	1	0
		2014–15	Pakistan	United Arab Emirates	2	0	2	0
		2014–15	India	Australia	1	1	0	0
		2015	West Indies	West Indies	2	2	0	0
		2015	England	England	5	2	3	0
		Total			47	24	16	7
44	Shane Watson	2012–13†	India	India	1	0	1	0
45	Steve Smith	2014–15†[1]	India	Australia	3	1	0	2
		2015–16	New Zealand	Australia	3	2	0	1
		2015–16	West Indies	Australia	3	2	0	1
		2015–16	New Zealand	New Zealand	2	2	0	0
		2016	Sri Lanka	Sri Lanka	3	0	3	0
		2016–17	South Africa	Australia	3	1	2	0
		2016–17	Pakistan	Australia	3	3	0	0
		2016–17	India	India	4	1	2	1
Total					24	12	7	5
Grand total					801	377	215	209

Notes:

• ¹ In 1945, just after the Second World War had ended in Europe, Warrant Officer Lindsay Hassett (as he then was) captained the Australian Services in five "Victory Tests" against England. The series was tied two-all with one draw. The "Victory Tests" have not, however, been granted full Test status.
• ² Includes one tie
• ³ In 1971–2 the planned tour to Australia by South Africa was cancelled. A Rest of the World XI toured Australia in its place and played five "Tests". Ian Chappell captained Australia in all of them. The World XI won two "Tests", Australia one, with two being drawn. The matches have retrospectively been denied Test status.
• ⁴Ian Chappell and Greg Chappell are brothers, and grandsons of Vic Richardson.

ODI captains

This is a complete list of every man who has captained Australia in at least one One Day International.

Notes:

• Source:
• ⁶Ian Chappell also captained the Australians against a Rest of the World XI in three one-day matches in 1971/2. The series was tied one-all, with one match abandoned without a ball being bowled. These games are not now recognised as official ODIs.
• ⁷Ricky Ponting also captained the ICC World XI in the first ODI played as part of the World Cricket Tsunami Appeal. The ICC World XI won that game.

Twenty20 International captains

Ricky Ponting was Australia's first captain in Twenty20 Internationals. On occasions when Ponting was unavailable, vice-captain Adam Gilchrist filled the role. In December 2007, Ponting was rested from the team to give the younger players exposure. Although vice-captain Gilchrist was in the team, 26-year-old Michael Clarke was selected as captain. Ponting called him the "obvious choice" and Clarke had been predicted to be the next full-time captain of Australia once Ponting stepped down from the captaincy.^[2] With Gilchrist's retirement from all forms of representative cricket at the end of the 2007–08 season, Clarke was promoted to the regular vice-captain's position.^[3] Thereafter, Cameron White was promoted as the captain, but George Bailey has taken over the captaincy in the two match series against India.^[4]

• Source:

Rebel captains

Captains of World Series Cricket teams (during the Packer split) and of the Rebel Australian XI to visit apartheid South Africa in 1985/6 are as follows:

World Series Cricket 1977/8 and 1978/9

Ian Chappell captained the WSC Australians in five Supertests in 1977/8, winning one and losing four. His brother Greg Chappell took over for a sixth Supertest, which the WSC Australians won. In 1978/9 in Australia Ian Chappell captained the WSC Australians in four Supertests, winning one, losing two and drawing the other one. In the same season in the West Indies, Ian Chappell went on to captain in five Supertests, winning one, losing one and drawing three.

South Africa 1985/6 and 1986/7

Kim Hughes captained a Rebel Australian XI to South Africa in 1985/6. He captained his Australian XI in 3 Rebel "Tests", losing one of them and drawing the other two. He also captained in another rebel tour in 1986/7 in 4 Rebel "Tests", losing one of them and drawing the other three.

Youth cricket

Test match captains

This is a list of cricketers who have captained the Australia Under-19 cricket team for at least one match. The table of results is complete to the third Test against England in 2002/3. Where a player has a dagger (†) next to a Test match series in which he captained at least one Test, that denotes that player was captain for a minor proportion in a series.

Youth One-Day International captains

This is a list of cricketers who have captained the Australia Under-19 cricket team for at least one Under-19 One Day International. The table of results is complete to the 2012 ICC Under-19 World Cup. Australia won the World Cup in 1987–88 and 2001–02.

Women's cricket

Test match captains

This is a list of cricketers who have captained the Australian women's cricket team for at least one women's Test match. The table of results is complete to the Test against India in 2005/6. Where a player has a dagger (†) next to a Test match series in which she captained at least one Test, that denotes that player was captain for a minor proportion in a series.

Women's One-Day International captains

This is a list of cricketers who have captained the Australian women's cricket team for at least one women's One-Day International. The table of results is complete to the third ODI against England on 9 January 2011. Australia won the World Cup in 1977/8, 1981/2, 1988/9, 1997/8 and 2004/5.

Women's Twenty20 International captains

This is a list of cricketers who have captained the Australian women's cricket team for at least one women's Twenty20 International. The table of results is complete to the fifth T20I against England on 18 January 2011.

Test Vice Captains

A number of players have also served as vice-captain in the test side including:

• Barry Jarman
• Keith Stackpole - under Ian Chappell in 1972
• Ian Redpath
• Greg Chappell - under Ian Chappell
• Craig Serjeant - under Bob Simpson 1977-78 vs India (first four tests), until he was dropped
• Graham Yallop - under Bob Simpson 1977-78 vs India (5th test) - then job was given to Jeff Thomson
• Jeff Thomson - under Bob Simpson 1977-78 vs West Indies
• Gary Cosier - under Graham Yallop 1978 (2 tests), until he was dropped
• John Maclean - under Graham Yallop 1978-79, until he was dropped
• Kim Hughes - under Graham Yallop then Greg Chappell from 1979 to 1983
• Rod Marsh - under Greg Chappell, Kim Hughes (1981)
• Greg Chappell - under Kim Hughes against Pakistan 1983-84
• Allan Border - under Kim Hughes 1983-84 to 1984-85
• Rodney Hogg - 1984-85 vs West Indies, until he was dropped
• Andrew Hilditch - under Kim Hughes in 1979 and under Allan Border in England in 1985, until he was dropped
• Ray Bright - under Allan Border 1985 to 1986
• Graeme Wood
• Geoff Marsh - under Allan Border 1988 until 1992, when he was dropped
• Mark Taylor - under Allan Border from 1992-1994, then promoted to captain
• Ian Healy - under Mark Taylor from 1994 to 1997 - made to step aside for Steve Waugh
• Steve Waugh - under Mark Taylor from 1997 to 1999, when he was promoted to captain
• Shane Warne - under Steve Waugh from 1999 to 2000, when he was sacked from the position^[11]
• Adam Gilchrist - under Steve Waugh August 2000 to April 2003 - made to step aside for Ricky Ponting
• Ricky Ponting - under Steve Waugh from April 2003 to 2004, then promoted to captain
• Michael Clarke - under Ricky Ponting from April 2008 to Jan 2011 - then promoted to captain
• Shane Watson - under Michael Clarke, from 2012 to April 2013, when he resigned from the position
• Brad Haddin - under Michael Clarke from April 2013, and Steve Smith during 2014-15 Indian test series
• Steve Smith - under Michael Clarke from December 2014, however promoted to captain during 2014-15 India test series with Clarke injured
• David Warner - currently under Steve Smith from August 2015^[12]

See also

• List of Australian Test cricketers
• List of Australian ODI cricketers

Notes

References

• Cricket Archive list of Australian captains by series
• Cricket Archive list of Australian captains by record
• Cricket Archive list of Australia Captains' Playing Record in ODI Matches
• Wisden Cricketers' Almanack