7 Great cricketers who were not so good captains

6. Kim Hughes:

A right-handed batsman, Kim Hughes had an orthodox yet attractive batting style. During the split between the establishment Australian Cricket Board and the breakaway World Series Cricket, Hughes was amongst those stayed with the establishment.  His captaincy record with Australia was hindered by a succession of matches away from home, an inexperienced team rebuilding itself after the frequent absence and later retirement of several senior players.

He led his country in 28 Tests winning just 4 and losing 13 with 11 drawn matches. He started with a solitary win against Pakistan in 1979 however ended the year with a 2-0 loss away to India in a 6-match series. The 1981 Ashes away series away to England started on a positive note for the Aussies, however, ended with a huge disappointment as the team lost the 6-match series 3-1. A win was followed by a draw in the two Tests, but the Aussies were outplayed in the following 3 Tests followed by a drawn final Test. The team was blanked by Pakistan 3-0 in an away series in 1982.

The Aussies got their revenge beating the Asian giants in the return series at home in 1983-84. The team won 2-0 in a 5-match series. The West Indies at home in 1984 hammered Australia 4-0 in a 6-match series and in the same year toured down under winning the first match at Gabba. Placed under extreme pressure by the media and former teammates, this turned out to be Hughes’ last Test as a captain. He made an emotional and tearful speech while resigning from the captaincy.