Strongest ODI playing XI featuring 11 captains
In the last 45 years, the game of cricket has seen several changes, but one prominent evolution has stood out - one day cricket.
Still, the format in which the all-important World Cup is played, one-day cricket is reaching new heights now - and several batting records are being broken within short periods.
For an ODI XI to be formidable, it has to have the right mix of aggressive and dependable batsmen, a healthy balance of pacers and spinners, along with a wicket-keeper who is a capable batsman and an additional blend of all-rounders.
The captain has to play an integral role - from team compositions to bowling changes; he has a say in everything.
Imagine an XI assembled out of skippers, each as proficient with their skills as they are with their captaincy tactics. We take a look at one such possible XI:
#1 Sanath Jayasuriya
Sanath Jayasuriya started his career as a slow left-arm spinner who can bat but finished his career as one of the legends of Sri Lankan cricket and one of his country's greatest captains.
He played 445 ODI matches in a career that spanned 22 years and has scored 13430 runs at an average of 32.36 and a strike-rate of 91.2, something that was unthinkable when he started to open the batting. He is equally good with the ball and has scalped 323 wickets at an average of 36, and he is someone on whom the captain can rely on to get ten overs.
As a captain, he has captained his team in 118 ODIs and has ended up on the winning side on 66 occasions with a result percentage of 58.26. Any team will want an explosive batsman at the top of the order and Jayasuriya fits the bill perfectly.
#2 Graeme Smith
Jayasuriya's opening partner, Graeme Smith, on the other hand, is an astute captain, in fact, the greatest captain South Africa has ever produced. After getting the responsibility of captaincy even before finding his feet in international cricket, Smith managed to excel both as a batsman and as a captain.
He has captained his side in 150 ODIs and has won 92 games at a result percentage of 61.33. He has amassed 6989 runs in 197 ODI matches at an average of 38 and he can be the perfect foil for Jayasuriya at the top of the order.
#3 Ricky Ponting
Without an element of doubt, former Australian captain Ricky Ponting is easily the greatest ever captain to have played for the side. Both in Tests and ODIs, he was the most successful captain and though he had a great team at his disposal, credit has to be given to him for leading them without any trouble, something that can be difficult in a team that has a lot of world-class players.
He has won 165 matches out of the 230 he captained, which is the most by any captain and has a brilliant win percentage of 76.14. Apart from his captaincy, Ponting has scored 13704 runs at an average of 42 in 375 ODIs. He has also led his team to two World Cup and two Champions Trophy wins and is the only one to do so far.
#4 Arjuna Ranatunga
He might not be among Sri Lanka's greatest ever cricketers but it was Arjuna Ranatunga, who showed the Asian island nation the right direction to achieve success in international success. The 1996-World Cup winning skipper has captained his team on 193 occasions and won 89 of them with a win percentage of 48.37.
One might wonder that the result percentage is very less compared to the other captains in the list but the Sri Lankan's influence in his team's rise to the top after his retirement is more than most of them. As a batsman, he has scored 7456 runs at an average of 35.84 and has taken 79 wickets with his medium pace.
#5 Clive Lloyd
One captain who can compete with Ricky Ponting, the leader, is Clive Lloyd. The former West Indian captain played a big role in uniting all the Caribbean islands and helping them win two consecutive World Cups in 1975 and 1979. The fact that he has captained his team in the 84 out of the 87 ODIs he played speaks volumes about how good he was as a leader.
His result percentage of 77.71 is the highest for any captain who has led at least 30 ODIs as he has led his team to victory on 64 out of the 84 matches he captained. Lloyd has scored 1977 runs in 87 games at an average of nearly 40 and a strike-rate of 81.22, which is very good for his day and age. The Windies team are missing a man like Lloyd in their team now.
#6 Hansie Cronje
Hansie Cronje, as a leader, deserves more credit as he gave the South African team a proper direction in the late 1990s. Though Graeme Smith has led the Proteas in more matches, Cronje is the best South African captain in terms of result percentage as he has won 73.7% of the 138 games (99 matches) he has led the Proteas.
Even as a player, Cronje is a reliable all-rounder as he has scored 5565 runs and has taken 114 wickets in 188 ODIs for his side. Unfortunately, no one will talk about his captaincy brains after his involvement in the match-fixing scandal.