Batters alone can’t win matches, hence, bowlers need to complement them well by picking up wickets. Over the years, we have seen some of the finest bowlers rule to roost in the gentlemen’s game.
However, a few bowlers stand out among them, thanks to their exceptional leadership qualities. We often don’t see a bowler captaining a team, but a handful have led their teams from the front by featuring among the leading wicket-takers.
In this article, we’ll list the top 10 bowlers with the most wickets as captains in all formats.
Most Wickets as a Captain in All Formats
| Player | Innings | Wickets as Captain | BBI | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imran Khan (PAK) | 188 | 318 | 8/60 | 23.87 |
| Wasim Akram (PAK) | 154 | 265 | 6/48 | 22.92 |
| Daniel Vettori (NZ) | 159 | 246 | 6/56 | 28.38 |
| Shaun Pollock (SA) | 147 | 238 | 6/30 | 22.57 |
| Jason Holder (WI) | 148 | 203 | 6/42 | 31.87 |
| Kapil Dev (IND) | 131 | 202 | 9/83 | 26.30 |
| Shakib Al Hasan (BAN) | 134 | 196 | 6/33 | 28.15 |
| Waqar Younis (PAK) | 88 | 164 | 7/36 | 23.96 |
| Heath Streak (ZIM) | 100 | 145 | 4/8 | 31.37 |
| Richie Benaud (AUS) | 56 | 138 | 6/70 | 25.78 |
Key Insights
318 wickets taken by Imran Khan are the most by a captain in all formats of the game. The Pakistani legendary all-rounder scalped 187 wickets in Tests — the most as a captain in Tests — and 131 wickets in ODIs.
Wasim Akram’s 158 of 265 wickets have come in the ODI format, making his tally the highest as a skipper in that format.
Also Read | The Ten Best Pakistani Fast Bowlers of All Time
Charles Perchard (Jersey), Mohammed Aslam (Kuwait), and Clinton Rubagumya (Rwanda) have picked up 50 or more wickets while at the helm of their teams in T20Is.
Imran Khan has grabbed the most five-wicket hauls (12) and ten-wicket hauls (4) as a captain across formats.
Shakib Al Hasan is the only bowler to pick up 45 or more wickets in each format as a skipper.
