5 great captains who never won a World Cup
From the eleven editions of the tournament thus far, the likes of Clive Lloyd, Kapil Dev, Allan Border, Imran Khan, Arjuna Ranatunga, Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting, MS Dhoni and Michael Clarke have all led their respective nations to World Cup glory. Only Lloyd and Ponting have managed to captain teams to the coveted ODI title on multiple occasions.
Also Read: World Cup-winning captains - 1975-2015
Even as triumphant campaigns elevated the above mentioned leaders to exalted status, there have also been plenty of iconic captains who were unable to taste the elixir of World Cup success. In order of appearance, let us take a close look at five great skippers who could not lead their respective teams to the ultimate title. It is pertinent to note that only those captains whose sides reached the knockout stages of the tournament are considered for this segment.
#5 Ian Chappell
Even though gifted leaders like Richie Benaud had led the cricket powerhouse with distinction before his stint, the emergence of Ian Chappell coincided with a peripheral change in Australian cricket. The shrewd skipper instilled the trademark never-say-die attitude in the set-up and also established the trend of Aussie players retiring at the peak of their prowess unlike their counterparts from the subcontinent.
During his illustrious reign between 1971 and 1975, Australia never lose a single Test series. While one-day cricket was seen with contempt during those times, there could be a tinge of regret embedded within Chappell's psyche after witnessing the surge attained by World-Cup winning captains.
Chappell led Australia in the inaugural edition of the tournament. After scraping past traditional rivals England in the semi-final, the Aussies ran into a determined West Indies unit in the title clash. Clive Lloyd set the stage ablaze with an astonishing 85-ball 102 as the Caribbean juggernaut racked up a huge total.
Chasing 292 from 60 overs, Australia struggled against the sharp pace of Keith Boyce. Chappell tried to lead from the front with a patient 93-ball 62 before a certain Viv Richards ran him out. The timely dismissal was the third run-out of the innings influenced by the 23-year old Richards. West Indies overcame a spirited lower-order rearguard to lift the Prudential Trophy for the first time.