Over the decades, all formats of international cricket have garnered immense popularity from all over the world and have also introduced some of the most iconic cricketers, including Shane Warne, Jacques Kallis, Virat Kohli and many others who have captured the unwavering attention of millions of cricket aficionados from all over the world for their dominant and unmatched exploits on the field.
On one hand, a majority of these legendary international cricketers have been successful in leading their national teams as captains and, on the other hand, a few of these cricketers have shockingly failed to receive the opportunity to captain their national cricket teams in any format of international cricket throughout their careers.
In this article we will take a look at the top four iconic cricketers who never captained their national teams.
Top 4 Great Cricketers Who Never Captained Their National Teams
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Glenn McGrath, Australia
The trailblazing Australian former international cricketer Glenn McGrath is at the first spot in our list of the top four legendary cricketers who were never chosen as skippers despite their glorious records. Glenn McGrath represented Australia across all formats of international cricket from 1993 to 2007.
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Often regarded as one of the most prolific bowlers in the history of international cricket, Glenn McGrath was never given an opportunity to captain the Australian national cricket team despite his being one of the greatest bowlers of all-time. However, Glenn McGrath remained as a crucial member of the Australian team that clinched three consecutive World Cup trophies after winning the 1999 Cricket World Cup, the 2003 Cricket World Cup, and the 2007 Cricket World Cup.
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Muttiah Muralitharan, Sri Lanka
At the second spot in our list of the top four iconic cricketers who never captained their national teams, we have Sri Lankan former international cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan, who is widely regarded as one of the most lethal bowlers in the history of international cricket. The legendary Sri Lankan bowler Muttiah Muralitharan represented Sri Lanka across all formats of international cricket from 1992 to 2011 and was often hailed as one of the most reliable bowlers of the squad.
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Although Muttiah Muralitharan was a part of the Sri Lankan team that clinched the 1996 Cricket World Cup and the team which was joint-winners with India of the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy, he was never selected as the captain of the Sri Lankan national cricket team in any format throughout his international cricketing career which turned out to be a major disappointment for his millions of fans from all around the world.
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Yuvraj Singh, India
Next, at the third spot in our list of the top four legendary cricketers who were never chosen as skippers despite their glorious records, we have the Indian former international cricketer Yuvraj Singh. Widely regarded as one of the most decorated cricketers of the Indian national cricket team of all-time, Yuvraj Singh displayed his hard-hitting calibre and delivered numerous match-winning innings that successfully led the Indian side to a phenomenal streak of victories, including his infamous “12 balls-6 sixes” innings at the 2007 T20 World Cup match against England.
However, shockingly, despite his unwavering dominance on the field, he was overshadowed by the other legendary Indian cricketers of his era and was never selected as the skipper of the Indian national cricket team in any format of international cricket.
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Harbhajan Singh
Finally, at the fourth spot in our list of the top four iconic cricketers who never captained their national teams, we have the trailblazing Indian former international cricketer Harbhajan Singh who represented India across all formats of international cricket from 1998 to 2016 and is still hailed as one of the most dynamic and prolific bowlers of all-time.
Throughout his star-studded international cricketing career, Harbhajan Singh delivered numerous annihilating bowling spells in most of the crucial innings which undoubtedly played a major role in leading the Indian side to a sensational streak of victories. Despite his match-winning performances, Harbhajan Singh never received an opportunity to represent India as a captain in any format of international cricket throughout his otherwise glorious career.
