Leading a team is an arduous task, especially in cricket. One has to formulate and execute strategies along with coaches while manning the team on the field from the front.
Having a solid captain is a sure-shot way of tasting success on the grand stage. And no one knows this better than Australian cricket.
The country has seen many players sign up for the difficult job and lead the team with finesse. From Allan Border to Pat Cummins, these men instilled the belief in their team to conquer the world.
On that note, we’ll look at the top 10 most successful Australian captains of all time in cricket.
10. George Bailey
George Bailey was an underrated captain who led Australia in limited-overs cricket. He grinded hard in the domestic setup before making his international debut in 2012.
Bailey is among the handful of players who captained their sides on debut. He replaced Cameroon White in T20Is while filling in for Michael Clarke in ODIs.
Bailey’s sensible approach earned him respect from his peers while going about his business as usual. He didn’t have a prolonged career but made enough out of it to retire as one of the best Australian skippers.
Bailey led the team in 57 games in ODIs and T20Is combined, winning 30 to end up with a win percentage of 52.63.
George Bailey Captaincy Record – All Formats
| Format | Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | Draw | No Result | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| ODI | 29 | 16 | 10 | 0 | – | 3 | 55.17 |
| T20I | 28 | 14 | 13 | 1 | – | 0 | 50.00 |
| Overall | 57 | 30 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 52.63 |
9. Pat Cummins
Pat Cummins is unarguably the best captain in current times. And his rise is commendable given he is a fast bowler, with pacers not being the first choice to lead a team.
Cummins takes a calm approach during a game and reads the situations pretty well, which was evident during Australia’s title run in the Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2023.
His ability to bring the best out of everyone has helped Australia emerge as the No. 1 side following Tim Paine’s departure in 2021. Cummins comes with full preparations to send the opposition packing in the match.
As he continues to lead the team well, he could end up as one of the greatest pace-bowling captains. Thus far, Cummins has logged over 30 victories, along with winning the WTC and CWC in 2023.
Pat Cummins Captaincy Record – All Formats
| Format | Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | Draw | No Result | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 33 | 20 | 7 | 0 | 6 | – | 62.50 |
| ODI | 17 | 13 | 4 | 0 | – | 0 | 76.47 |
| T20I | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Overall | 50 | 33 | 11 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 66.00 |
8. Greg Chappell
Greg Chappell was a ruthless captain of his era. He captained the Australian unit in the late 70s and early 80s.
He assumed the charge in November 1975 when the West Indies toured Down Under for a six-match series. Chappell got off a positive note, winning the first Test while bashing centuries in both innings.
He found success in 21 Tests and as many ODIs while sowing the seeds for a dominant side that would become world beaters.
Greg Chappell Captaincy Record – All Formats
| Format | Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | Draw | No Result | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 48 | 21 | 13 | 0 | 14 | – | 43.75 |
| ODI | 49 | 21 | 25 | 0 | – | 3 | 42.86 |
| T20I | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Overall | 97 | 42 | 38 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 43.30 |
7. Steven Smith
One of the best captains among his contemporaries, Steven Smith started as a stand-in skipper in Michael Clarke’s absence. He was quick to impress with astute leadership which coincided with his stellar form with the bat.
As Clarke bid adieu, the throne went to Smith by nature across all formats. The additional responsibility didn’t seem to hamper his batting at all, with Australia tasting significant success under his leadership.
Smith’s involvement in the 2018 Sandpaper Gate saga, though, put a dent on his captaincy credentials. The Australian board banned him from leadership roles before revoking the decision a few years ago.
Thus far, Smith has captained his team in 105 games, winning 56 to have a win percentage of 53.33.
Steven Smith Captaincy Record – All Formats
| Format | Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | Draw | No Result | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 38 | 21 | 10 | 0 | 7 | – | 55.26 |
| ODI | 59 | 31 | 25 | 0 | – | 3 | 52.54 |
| T20I | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | – | 0 | 50.00 |
| Overall | 105 | 56 | 39 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 53.33 |
6. Mark Taylor
Mark Taylor continued the good work done by Allan Border as he took the reins from Border in 1994. He kept their dominating run going with his tactical leadership skills.
Taylor’s commanding powers complimented well with his run-making. He gave his men the freedom and confidence to play to their strengths, which helped Australia boss world cricket.
Taylor’s win percentage was almost 53, leading the Aussies to 62 victories out of 117 matches across Tests and ODIs.
Mark Taylor Captaincy Record – All Formats
| Format | Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | Draw | No Result | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 50 | 26 | 13 | 0 | 11 | – | 52.00 |
| ODI | 67 | 36 | 30 | 1 | – | 0 | 53.73 |
| T20I | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Overall | 117 | 62 | 43 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 52.99 |
5. Aaron Finch
Aaron Finch is one of the best white-ball captains to lead Australia. Unlike some legendary captains, Finch only led the Australian squad in ODIs and T20Is.
He got the job as Bailey’s replacement in 2014, though it was a short stint with Steven Smith leading the pack in all three formats. But following the Newlands ball-tampering saga in 2018, the management reinstated Finch as their full-time white-ball captain.
He played a pivotal role in pulling Australia out of a dark time and taking them to a T20 World Cup success in 2021. He bowed out with 71 victories in 131 matches, with 40 alone coming in T20Is – the most for Australia in the shortest format.
Aaron Finch Captaincy Record – All Formats
| Format | Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | Draw | No Result | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| ODI | 55 | 31 | 24 | 0 | – | 0 | 56.36 |
| T20I | 76 | 40 | 32 | 1 | – | 3 | 52.63 |
| Overall | 131 | 71 | 56 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 54.19 |
4. Michael Clarke
Michael Clarke is one of the five Australian captains to have led their sides to a World Cup triumph. His focused and dedicated approach saw Australia home on many occasions.
Clarke succeeded Ricky Ponting and brought back the unit to the top with his aggressive captaincy. He guided the team to an Ashes victory in 2013/14, where Australia outclassed England completely before winning the ODI World Cup at home in 2015.
Overall, Clarke won 86 matches out of 139 he captained across formats. He finished with a win percentage of 61.87, which places him among the most successful Australian captains in cricket.
Michael Clarke Captaincy Record – All Formats
| Format | Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | Draw | No Result | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 47 | 24 | 16 | 0 | 7 | – | 51.06 |
| ODI | 74 | 50 | 21 | 0 | – | 3 | 67.56 |
| T20I | 18 | 12 | 4 | 1 | – | 1 | 66.67 |
| Overall | 139 | 86 | 41 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 61.87 |
3. Steve Waugh
In between the Allan Border and Ricky Ponting eras, Steve Waugh led the Australian unit with much fervour, ending up with several positive results. That makes Waugh one of the most successful Australian skippers.
Under his captaincy, Australia were an unbeatable side, especially in Test cricket. He even boasted a streak of 16 consecutive Test victories.
Waugh managed to hand Australia their second World Cup trophy in 1999, overcoming Pakistan in the summit clash. In all, he captained them in 163 games, winning 108 of them. Waugh’s 41 Test victories place him among the best Test captains in the world.
Steve Waugh Captaincy Record – All Formats
| Format | Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | Draw | No Result | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 57 | 41 | 9 | 0 | 7 | – | 71.92 |
| ODI | 106 | 67 | 35 | 3 | – | 1 | 63.20 |
| T20I | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Overall | 163 | 108 | 44 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 66.25 |
2. Allan Border
Allan Border is the second-most successful Australian captain. But he wasn’t so willing to take up the job after Kim Hughes resigned from the captaincy in 1984.
As the huge responsibility fell on his shoulders to pull back the team, Border showed his determination while leading the unit wholeheartedly. He transformed Australia into an invincible force.
Border guided Australia to their maiden World Cup title in 1987. His stint lasted for 10 years, captaining Australia in 271 matches and winning 139 of them. His numbers in ODIs are still impressive where he sneaked 107 victories out of 178 games, translating to a win percentage of 60.11.
Allan Border Captaincy Record – All Formats
| Format | Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | Draw | No Result | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 93 | 32 | 22 | 1 | 38 | – | 34.78 |
| ODI | 178 | 107 | 67 | 1 | – | 3 | 60.11 |
| T20I | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Overall | 271 | 139 | 89 | 2 | 38 | 3 | 51.29 |
1. Ricky Ponting
No surprises here and you must have already guessed it. Ricky Ponting is the most successful Australian captain in international cricket.
He is not just the best Australian skipper but overall the finest in world cricket. The reason behind his success was the quality of cricketers he had at his disposal, who would steal a win from any situation.
Ponting had the services of some of the best players in his initial captaincy years. As they faded away, he had to bring the best out of the younger lot, continuing the dominance of the Aussies in all formats.
Punter led the Kangaroos for almost a decade (2002-2012) in 323 games, winning 219 to have a win percentage of 67.80. Out of those, he took the team over the ropes in 48 Tests, 164 ODIs – the most by any Australian in both formats – and seven T20Is.
Ponting also led the Australian unit to consecutive World Cup (2003 and 2007) and Champions Trophy victories (2006 and 2009).
Ricky Ponting Captaincy Record – All Formats
| Format | Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | Draw | No Result | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 77 | 48 | 16 | 0 | 13 | – | 62.33 |
| ODI | 229 | 164 | 51 | 2 | – | 12 | 71.61 |
| T20I | 17 | 7 | 10 | 0 | – | 0 | 41.17 |
| Overall | 323 | 219 | 77 | 2 | 13 | 12 | 67.80 |
