Leading an international team in Test cricket is an esteemed feat any cricketer would love to achieve.
This article provides a statistical overview of the Test match captaincy records, highlighting the players who rank highest for the most Test losses and the highest loss percentages.
Captains with Most Test Losses
| CAPTAINS | TEST LOSSES | MATCHES CAPTAINED | LOSS% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graeme Smith (SA) | 29 | 109 | 26.61 |
| Stephen Fleming (NZ) | 27 | 80 | 33.75 |
| Brian Lara (WI) | 26 | 47 | 55.32 |
| Joe Root (ENG) | 26 | 64 | 40.63 |
| Alan Border (AUS) | 22 | 93 | 23.66 |
| Alastair Cook (ENG) | 22 | 59 | 37.29 |
| Michael Atherton (ENG) | 21 | 54 | 38.89 |
| Jason Holder (WI) | 21 | 37 | 56.76 |
| Kraigg Brathwaite (WI) | 20 | 35 | 57.14 |
| Misbah-ul-Haq | 19 | 56 | 33.93 |
| Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi (IND) | 19 | 40 | 47.5 |
| Arjuna Ranatunga (SL) | 19 | 56 | 33.93 |
Discover the Record-Breaking Teams and Captains Here
Teams with Most Wins in Test Cricket
Key Insights on Captains with the Most Test Match Losses
Record Holders for Most Matches as Captain and Loss Statistics
Graeme Smith, the former South African captain, holds the record for leading a team in the highest number of Test matches.
Smith also holds records for both the most Test wins and the most Test losses by a captain.
Ricky Ponting, who is second only to Graeme Smith in most Test captaincy wins, impressively does not feature in the list of captains with the most Test losses.
The former Australian captain also leads the chart of players involved in the most Test wins overall.
Captaincy Loss Rate Over 50% in Test Cricket
Among anyone who has led teams for more than 35 Tests, three West Indian skippers, Brian Lara, Kraig Brathwaite and Jason Holder are the only two to have lost more than 50% of their captained Tests.
Seven captains who led in 30 or more Test matches have a career loss percentage of 50% or higher, with Jason Holder topping the unwanted chart for captains.
| Captain | Country | Lost as Captain | Loss Percentage |
| Jason Holder | West Indies | 21/37 | 56.76% |
| Kraig Brathwaite | West Indies | 22/39 | 56.41% |
| David Gower | England | 18/32 | 56.25% |
| Brian Lara | West Indies | 26/47 | 55.32% |
| John Reid | New Zealand | 18/34 | 52.94% |
| Mushfiqur Rahim | Bangladesh | 18/34 | 52.94% |
| Daniel Vettori | New Zealand | 16/32 | 50.00% |
Captaincy Records of Recent Era Skippers
Joe Root, the former English captain, oversaw 26 Test match losses in the last decade, despite his record for most Test wins by an England captain.
Although Root holds the record for most Test wins by an England captain, his absence from the top ten Ashes captains with most wins highlights England’s poor performance against Australia during his tenure.
In contrast, modern-day skippers Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson have proven successful, maintaining winning percentages above 50% while losing only 25% of the games they led.
