This is a list of all English national cricket captains, comprising all of the men, boys and women who have captained an English national cricket team at official international level. England played in the first Test match in 1877 and have played more Test matches, and had more captains, than any other team. In the 19th century, the captains for overseas tours were chosen by the promoters, with James Lillywhite, Alfred Shaw and Arthur Shrewsbury being the main professional promoters. However, some amateur tours went abroad under Lord Harris and Lord Hawke. Home captains were selected by the home ground authority, who often went for their local favourites. For around sixty years, from 1902/3, the Marylebone Cricket Club took over the organisation of all overseas tours, with the games played being technically by the "MCC" rather than "England". They brought with them the tradition of having amateur, rather than professional, captains, and after Shrewsbury there wasn't another professional captain until Len Hutton around sixty years later. The amateur/professional distinction was abolished in 1962, and a new breed of captain in Brian Close and then Ray Illingworth was born.
Contents
- Mens Test match captains
- Mens ODI captains
- Mens Twenty20 International captains
- England v Rest of the World 1970
- Rebel tours to South Africa
- Test match captains
- Youth One Day International captains
- Womens One Day International captains
- Womens Twenty20 International captains
- References
From the mid-1980s until the late 1990s, English cricket was in decline, with the England team suffering many heavy defeats. The desperation was most clear in the "summer of four captains" in 1988, during the West Indies tour of England, when the captaincy started with Mike Gatting, who was sacked after the first Test as a result of a dalliance with a barmaid. He was initially replaced by John Emburey, who lasted just two Tests before being sacked after two consecutive defeats. Chris Cowdrey was appointed amidst accusations of nepotism on the part of chief of selectors Peter May, but sustained an injury in his only Test as captain. Finally, Graham Gooch became England's fourth captain of the summer. Unsurprisingly, England lost the five-Test series 4–0. The following year, England faced Australia in the 1989 Ashes series. Gooch didn't remain in his post, with David Gower being brought back as captain. Gower had been an Ashes winning captain back in 1985, although some people favoured bringing back Mike Gatting who had also won the Ashes as England captain in 1986-1987. In the event, Gower's captaincy return was wholly unsuccessful, the 1989 Ashes being lost 4-0. Graham Gooch was reappointed captain for the subsequent tour to the West Indies and remained in the post until 1993 after the fourth Test against Australia, having failed to win a Test match that year.
England's mixed fortunes continued under Gooch's successor Mike Atherton. Earmarked early as a future captain, England enjoyed victories over South Africa, India and New Zealand under his premiership although they continued to fare badly against the West Indies and Australia, and the lack of consistent progress led to his resignation at the end of the 1997/98 tour of the West Indies, which England lost 3-1. Replacement Alec Stewart was sacked after less than a year in the job after another defeat in Australia and a disastrous 1999 Cricket World Cup campaign. The beginning of Nasser Hussain's captaincy saw England jeered by their own supporters after losing to New Zealand at home in 1999, but England soon started to enjoy a revival, which continued under Michael Vaughan. England were the only team undefeated in 2004, and were, as at June 2005, ranked as the second-best Test nation in the world. Later that summer they regained The Ashes from Australia, having not held them since 1989.
Following Vaughan's retirement, England were briefly captained by Kevin Pietersen before Andrew Strauss took on the role permanently following Pietersen's resignation. Strauss became the first captain to lead England to victory in a Test series in Australia since 1987, as well as taking them to the number one ranking in the summer of 2011. Strauss announced his resignation and retirement following the relinquishing of the top ranking to South Africa in 2012, with One Day International captain and Strauss' deputy Alastair Cook was named as the replacement.
Men's Test match captains
This is a list of cricketers who have captained the England cricket team for at least one Test match. It has been updated to the end of the fifth Test against India in August 2014. 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 was appointed by the home authority for a minor proportion in a series. The dagger classification follows that adopted by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack.
Men's ODI captains
This is a complete list of every man who has captained England in at least one One Day International. It is complete up to the end of the away series against Sri Lanka in December 2014.
Nine men (Alan Knott, Norman Gifford, Adam Hollioake, Graham Thorpe, Paul Collingwood, Eoin Morgan, Stuart Broad, James Taylor and Jos Buttler) have captained the England ODI side without captaining the Test team.
Men's Twenty20 International captains
England played their first Twenty20 International in June 2005.
England v Rest of the World, 1970
In 1970, the proposed South African tour of England was aborted. To replace the tour, a series of five games was played between a "Rest of the World" XI and the England Test team. At the time, these matches were thought of as Test matches. However, later they were stripped of Test status. England's captain in all five games was Ray Illingworth, who won one game, and lost the other four.
Rebel tours to South Africa
South Africa was banned from world cricket in the 1970s and 1980s because of the apartheid regime then operating in that country. In the 1980s, South Africa paid a number of leading cricketers to visit on private tours. The visitors were identified by country, and they played matches that were called "Test matches" in South Africa. These games, however, have no official status.
They also played a number of One Day Internationals. Again, these do not have any official status.
Test match captains
This is a list of cricketers who have captained the English U-19 cricket team for at least one under-19 Test match. The table of results is complete to September 2014. 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.
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Youth One-Day International captains
This is a list of cricketers who have captained the English U-19 cricket team for at least one Under-19 One Day International. The table of results is complete to the end of the home series against South Africa in 2014.
Test match captains
This is a list of cricketers who have captained the English women's cricket team for at least one women's Test match. The table of results is complete to the home Test against India in 2014. 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 English women's cricket team for at least one women's one-day international. The table of results is complete to the end of the home series against South Africa in September 2014.
Women's Twenty20 International captains
This is a list of cricketers who have captained the English women's cricket team for at least one women's Twenty20 International. The table of results is complete as of 11 September 2014.