All-time ODI XI featuring 11 captains

Cricket is a team game where 11 players need to perform as a unit to take their side over the finish line. While some have the responsibility of scoring runs, others have to deliver with the ball in hand. However, one person who needs to take care of everything happening in the field is the captain. From selecting team combinations to making on-field decisions, a captain needs to perform many duties.

On top of that, he also needs to focus on his individual performances. Hence, leading a cricket team is not a bread and butter task by any means. The challenge increases even further when someone is handling the reins of a national team. A captain in international cricket deals with the immense pressure of leading the side from the front with the spotlight over his head.

While the captain gets praised when the team wins, he also needs to take accountability for the entire team’s failure. Hence, many potent cricketers have failed to bear the leadership pressure. At the same time, some individuals have done an exceptional job while captaining the side. Now, how would a team look featuring the best ODI captains in the world? Let’s find out!

Here’s a look at the all-time ODI XI featuring skippers

1. Graeme Smith

South Africa were a force to reckon with under Graeme Smith’s leadership. Hence, the southpaw is the opener of this unique line-up. In 2003, a 22-year old Smith took over the reins of the national team when the Proteas side was reeling with the claims of match-fixing. However, the left-handed batsman embraced the challenge and took his side to great heights.

He scored runs consistently at the top-order and guided his side to numerous wins. Although Smith’s stroke play may not have been that elegant like most lefties, his relentless character and ability to shine in crunch situations made him a headache for the bowlers. His strategies and apt field placements had also left the cricket world in awe.

In ODIs, Smith led South Africa in 149 games and took them to victory on 92 occasions. Hence, he had a win percentage of nearly 65, which is simply sensational. The southpaw eventually bid farewell to international cricket in 2014, but his services for Proteas cricket weren’t over. He’s currently serving as a director of Cricket South Africa (CSA).