Captainship brings pressure with a sense of responsibility for any player, even if they are the best at the sport. And sometimes, even after leading your teams to numerous victories, the pressure gets to you when winning is imperative. Well, it has happened with some of the most successful captains in cricket. Despite their impressive leadership record, they failed to lead their team to an ICC Trophy title. Sometimes situations and luck failed them, while sometimes they fall victim to the pressure. This piece is about five such famous captains who never won an ICC Trophy.
Famous captains who never won an ICC Trophy:
#1 Mohammad Azharuddin:
Mohammad Azharuddin was one of the best ODI captains of India. He had a successful nine-year run as the captain of the Indian Cricket Team. In this period, he captained the Indian side in 47 Test matches and 174 ODIs.
Although he didn’t prove to be a successful captain in Tests, Azharuddin was still one of the most successful captains in ODIs for India. He had a win percentage of 54.16 and led India to 90 ODI victories. Azharuddin captained India from 1990 to 1999 and led India in four ICC tournaments, ICC World Cup 1992, 1996, and 1999, and the inaugural ICC Champions Trophy in 1998. However, India lost all of them without even making it to the final in any of these tournaments.
#2 Graeme Smith:
Graeme Smith may have led South Africa to two successive Test maces, but he couldn’t fill their void of ICC trophies during his time as captain. Smith was South Africa’s captain for the longest. He led them in 109 Tests and 150 ODIs. Apart from being captain for the longest, Smith was also the most successful South African captain in ODIs. He led his team to 92 ODI victories with a win per cent of 64.23.
However, despite being a successful leader, Graeme Smith could neither end South Africa’s World Cup drought nor could he lead them to a Champions Trophy title. Smith captained South Africa in ICC Champions Trophy 2006 and 2009, T20 World Cup 2007, 2009 and 2010, and WorldCup 2007 and 2011. But despite playing this many ICC tournaments, he couldn’t guide South Africa to a title win.
#3 AB de Villiers:
Another South African captain and one of the greatest cricket players, AB de Villers, have also been unsuccessful in winning an ICC trophy. AB captained South Africa in 103 ODIs and 18 T20Is between 2012 and 2017. He led South Africa to 59 ODI victories with a win percentage of over 60 but couldn’t guide them to win an ICC Trophy.
AB de Villiers led the South African Cricket Team in ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and Champions Trophy 2013 and 2017. But even his leadership couldn’t help South Africa get rid of the title “Chokers” as they couldn’t make it to the finals in any of them.
#4 Mahela Jayawardene:
Mahela Jayawardene is probably the most unexpected name on this list. Jayawardene captained Sri Lanka in 129 ODIs and 38 Tests and 19 T20Is. He maintained a winning rate of 65.78% in T20Is and 59.09% in ODIs for Sri Lanka but still couldn’t get his hands on an ICC Trophy under his captainship.
Jayawardene led Sri Lanka in ICC Champions Trophy 2006, ICC T20 World Cup 2007, and ICC World Cup 2007. However, he couldn’t help them lift an ICC trophy despite leading them to the final in the ICC World Cup 2007.
#5 Sir Vivian Richards:
The great Sir Vivian Richards can be called the unluckiest captain among others on this list. This is because he captained the West Indian side between 1980 and 1991 when there used to be only one ICC Trophy, ICC Cricket World Cup. So he could lead West Indies in only one ICC tournament, the ICC Cricket World Cup 1987.
Viv Richards led West Indies in 50 Tests and 105 ODIs and maintained a win rate of 54% in Tests and 65.04% in ODIs. On top of that, West Indies only ever lost eight Test matches under him. Despite having such a magnificent captainship record, Sir Viv Richards couldn’t guide his team to an ICC Trophy in the only chance he got as a captain.
