The 13th edition of the ICC World Cup was held in India. The top ten teams with the best players in the game competed in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. It also featured ten of the best captains trying to lead their respective teams to victory. In the end, Australia turned out to be the victors, lifting the trophy for the sixth time.<o:p></o:p>

Some of these captains did an excellent job as leaders and players, while others battled and failed badly, as evidenced by their team's results. We'll talk about the ten captains and how they performed throughout the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.<o:p></o:p>

Here is how the captains of all 10 teams are ranked after ICC World Cup 2023:<o:p></o:p>

10. Shakib Al Hasan- Bangladesh<o:p></o:p>

<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1698161902683_Shakib-Al-Hasan.jpeg" alt="Shakib Al Hasan" loading="lazy"><figcaption>Shakib Al Hasan. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)</figcaption>

Shakib Al Hasan’s performance in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, was opposite to the outing he had in the 2019 World Cup where he had scored over 600 runs and taken 11 wickets. This time around, he was a colossal disaster while Bangladesh depended on him coming good. He made one half-century against Sri Lanka and 186 runs in seven innings. Shakib got nine wickets at an average of 36.55.<o:p></o:p>

As for his captaincy, it was mediocre at best. But he wrote his name in the record books as the first captain to ever appeal for a time-out dismissal in an international match. The incident happened in the match against <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/sri-lanka/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sri Lanka</a> when Angelo Mathews was timed out after Shakib appealed to the umpires.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>

9. Kusal Mendis- Sri Lanka

<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1694720673245_Kusal-Mendis.jpeg" alt="Kusal Mendis" loading="lazy"><figcaption>Kusal Mendis. ({Photo Source: ISHARA S.KODIKARA/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption>

Kusal Mendis started the ICC World Cup 2023 with his bat on fire as he slammed a brilliant century against South Africa and did well against Pakistan. But once he took over captaincy from Dasun Shanaka, who was injured, his batting form evaporated.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>

Sri Lanka’s campaign went downwards pretty quickly as his leadership proved to be insipid and he couldn’t lead from the front as well. With only two wins in the World Cup, Sri Lanka also failed to qualify for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. With the bat as captain, Mendis only managed 96 runs in 7 innings. <o:p></o:p>

8. Jos Buttler- England<o:p></o:p>

<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1696655312505_Jos-Buttler.jpeg" alt="Jos Buttler" loading="lazy"><figcaption>Jos Buttler(Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)</figcaption>

Jos Buttler’s England team came into the ICC World Cup 2023 as one of the favourites to reach the semi-finals and win the Trophy. They even got Ben Stokes to unretire from ODIs and join the squad for the tournament. However, things unravelled quickly for England as they lost the CWC opener by a big margin.<o:p></o:p>

Despite beating Bangladesh, England continued a downward trend and their humiliation was complete when Afghanistan defeated them soundly. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/jos-buttler/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jos Buttler</a> looked like a captain who had no plans left at that time and he was going through the motions. His 138 runs with a top score of 42 didn’t help things either as England failed to make it to the knockouts. He was perhaps one of the tournament’s most disappointing captains.<o:p></o:p>

7. Babar Azam- Pakistan<o:p></o:p>

<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1699107696006_Pakistan-Cricket-Team.jpeg" alt="Pakistan Cricket Team" loading="lazy"><figcaption>Pakistan Cricket Team. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)</figcaption>

Babar Azam entered the CWC 2023 as a No.1 ranked batter and it was expected of him to lead Pakistan to glory. But despite 320 runs in 9 matches, Babar couldn’t score a century, and captaincy-wise, he was extremely poor. Babar was accused of continuing to back his choice of players and his plans weren’t executed properly. The biggest humiliation for Pakistan came when they lost to Afghanistan and that too by 8 wickets defending 280-odd runs. His failure to inspire his team with his captaincy and his bat resulted in one of the poorest performances from Men in Green.<o:p></o:p>

6. Scott Edwards- Netherlands<o:p></o:p>

<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1700480919064_Scott-Edwards.jpeg" alt="Scott Edwards" loading="lazy"><figcaption>Scott Edwards. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

The Netherlands won two games in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, against South Africa and Sri Lanka, with skipper Scott Edwards leading the way in both. He scored 259 runs with a best of 78* and while the Dutch top-order faltered in most of the games, Edwards continued to impress with the bat.<o:p></o:p>

His captaincy was also top-grade, especially in both the games the Netherlands won. Against <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/south-africa/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">South Africa</a>, he brilliantly defended the total Netherlands posted. He kept the Proteas batters under pressure all the time, resulting in a great win. &nbsp;<o:p></o:p>

5. Hashmatullah Shahidi- Afghanistan<o:p></o:p>

<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1698683370907_Azmatullah-Omarzai-and-Hashmatullah-Shahidi.jpeg" alt="Azmatullah Omarzai and Hashmatullah Shahidi" loading="lazy"><figcaption>Azmatullah Omarzai and Hashmatullah Shahidi. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)</figcaption>

Hashmatullah Shahidi was a decent choice as Afghanistan captain, as he along with mentor Ajay Jadeja and coach Jonathan Trott came up with brilliant plans. Afghanistan had a reputation for being a good T20 team, but a team which didn’t have the patience for ODIs. But their performance changed that perception quickly.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>

Shahidi led from the front with 320 runs in 9 matches with a best of 80 and 3 fifties. He was the rock around whom the Afghan batting revolved. His captaincy was inspirational and the way he led them in wins over Pakistan and England was awe-inspiring. Particularly, using four spinners against both teams was a master stroke. <o:p></o:p>

4. Temba Bavuma- South Africa<o:p></o:p>

<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1666843550475_Temba-Bavuma.jpeg" alt="Temba Bavuma" loading="lazy"><figcaption>Temba Bavuma. (Photo by DAVID GRAY/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption>

<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/temba-bavuma/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Temba Bavuma</a> might not have succeeded with the bat in this CWC 2023, scoring just 145 runs in 8 matches. But remember, he was battling a hamstring injury and was out of form coming into the tournament. However, he excelled with his captaincy for South Africa. His planning in the semi-final against Australia to defend 212 runs was a brilliant exhibition of leadership.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>

3. Kane Williamson and Tom Latham- New Zealand<o:p></o:p>

<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1699107649356_Kane-Williamson.jpeg" alt="Kane Williamson." loading="lazy"><figcaption>Kane Williamson. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)</figcaption>

Kane Williamson didn’t play in the initial few matches for New Zealand and Tom Latham led in his stead. Both the cricketers did well as leaders, but as a batter, Latham faltered with just 155 runs in 10 innings. On the other hand, Williamson made 256 runs in 4 innings with 3 fifties. <o:p></o:p>

New Zealand threw away a great start to the tournament winning four matches, as they lost their next four and Williamson’s captaincy somewhere came under scrutiny. New Zealand somehow qualified for the semis where they were blown away by Indian in Mumbai. <o:p></o:p>

2. Rohit Sharma- India<o:p></o:p>

<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1700043508438_sddas.jpeg" alt="Rohit Sharma" loading="lazy"><figcaption>Rohit Sharma (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Rohit Sharma, one of the best captains in the ICC World Cup 2023, was great throughout the campaign. He led his team to the finals without losing a game, which played a significant role in India's victory. Rohit's lightning-fast starts have always set the tone for the competition's most successful batting lineup.<o:p></o:p>

He led from the front with 597 runs in 11 matches with one century and 3 fifties. However, misreading the pitch in the final and not playing an extra batter/all-rounder cost India the trophy against Australia.

Also read: <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cwc-cricket-world-cup/stats/batting-most-runs/?ref=hm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Most runs in ODI World Cup 2023</a>

<o:p></o:p>

1. Pat Cummins- Australia

<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1700407575066_Pat-Cummins.jpeg" alt="Pat-Cummins" loading="lazy"><figcaption>Pat-Cummins. (Photo by PUNIT PARANJPE/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption>

Pat Cummins was a contentious choice when he was named Australia's ODI captain. He has shown great leadership qualities and he reads the game and situations pretty quickly and adapts his plans accordingly. Many wrote off Australia after they lost their first two games, but Cummins kept them in the race and won the next eight to make it into the final. <o:p></o:p>

He won the toss and took a brave call to bowl first, which proved to be the right one. He silenced the Ahmedabad crowd by taking the wicket of Virat Kohli. And later lifted the ICC World Cup trophy as <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/australia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australia</a> became six-time champions. <o:p></o:p>

The 13th edition of the ICC World Cup was held in India. The top ten teams with the best players in the game competed in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. It also featured ten of the best captains trying to lead their respective teams to victory. In the end, Australia turned out to be the victors, lifting the trophy for the sixth time.<o:p></o:p>
Some of these captains did an excellent job as leaders and players, while others battled and failed badly, as evidenced by their team's results. We'll talk about the ten captains and how they performed throughout the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.<o:p></o:p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">Here is how the captains of all 10 teams are ranked after ICC World Cup 2023:<o:p></o:p></h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">10. Shakib Al Hasan- Bangladesh<o:p></o:p></h3>
<figure class="image" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1698161902683_Shakib-Al-Hasan.jpeg" alt="Shakib Al Hasan" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption>Shakib Al Hasan. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
Shakib Al Hasan’s performance in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, was opposite to the outing he had in the 2019 World Cup where he had scored over 600 runs and taken 11 wickets. This time around, he was a colossal disaster while Bangladesh depended on him coming good. He made one half-century against Sri Lanka and 186 runs in seven innings. Shakib got nine wickets at an average of 36.55.<o:p></o:p>
As for his captaincy, it was mediocre at best. But he wrote his name in the record books as the first captain to ever appeal for a time-out dismissal in an international match. The incident happened in the match against <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/sri-lanka/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sri Lanka</a> when Angelo Mathews was timed out after Shakib appealed to the umpires.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">9. Kusal Mendis- Sri Lanka</h3>
<figure class="image" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1694720673245_Kusal-Mendis.jpeg" alt="Kusal Mendis" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption>Kusal Mendis. ({Photo Source: ISHARA S.KODIKARA/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption>
</figure>
Kusal Mendis started the ICC World Cup 2023 with his bat on fire as he slammed a brilliant century against South Africa and did well against Pakistan. But once he took over captaincy from Dasun Shanaka, who was injured, his batting form evaporated.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
Sri Lanka’s campaign went downwards pretty quickly as his leadership proved to be insipid and he couldn’t lead from the front as well. With only two wins in the World Cup, Sri Lanka also failed to qualify for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. With the bat as captain, Mendis only managed 96 runs in 7 innings. <o:p></o:p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">8. Jos Buttler- England<o:p></o:p></h3>
<figure class="image" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1696655312505_Jos-Buttler.jpeg" alt="Jos Buttler" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption>Jos Buttler(Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)</figcaption>
</figure>
Jos Buttler’s England team came into the ICC World Cup 2023 as one of the favourites to reach the semi-finals and win the Trophy. They even got Ben Stokes to unretire from ODIs and join the squad for the tournament. However, things unravelled quickly for England as they lost the CWC opener by a big margin.<o:p></o:p>
Despite beating Bangladesh, England continued a downward trend and their humiliation was complete when Afghanistan defeated them soundly. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/jos-buttler/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jos Buttler</a> looked like a captain who had no plans left at that time and he was going through the motions. His 138 runs with a top score of 42 didn’t help things either as England failed to make it to the knockouts. He was perhaps one of the tournament’s most disappointing captains.<o:p></o:p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">7. Babar Azam- Pakistan<o:p></o:p></h3>
<figure class="image" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1699107696006_Pakistan-Cricket-Team.jpeg" alt="Pakistan Cricket Team" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption>Pakistan Cricket Team. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
Babar Azam entered the CWC 2023 as a No.1 ranked batter and it was expected of him to lead Pakistan to glory. But despite 320 runs in 9 matches, Babar couldn’t score a century, and captaincy-wise, he was extremely poor. Babar was accused of continuing to back his choice of players and his plans weren’t executed properly. The biggest humiliation for Pakistan came when they lost to Afghanistan and that too by 8 wickets defending 280-odd runs. His failure to inspire his team with his captaincy and his bat resulted in one of the poorest performances from Men in Green.<o:p></o:p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">6. Scott Edwards- Netherlands<o:p></o:p></h3>
<figure class="image" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1700480919064_Scott-Edwards.jpeg" alt="Scott Edwards" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption>Scott Edwards. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
The Netherlands won two games in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, against South Africa and Sri Lanka, with skipper Scott Edwards leading the way in both. He scored 259 runs with a best of 78* and while the Dutch top-order faltered in most of the games, Edwards continued to impress with the bat.<o:p></o:p>
His captaincy was also top-grade, especially in both the games the Netherlands won. Against <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/south-africa/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">South Africa</a>, he brilliantly defended the total Netherlands posted. He kept the Proteas batters under pressure all the time, resulting in a great win. &nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">5. Hashmatullah Shahidi- Afghanistan<o:p></o:p></h3>
<figure class="image" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1698683370907_Azmatullah-Omarzai-and-Hashmatullah-Shahidi.jpeg" alt="Azmatullah Omarzai and Hashmatullah Shahidi" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption>Azmatullah Omarzai and Hashmatullah Shahidi. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
Hashmatullah Shahidi was a decent choice as Afghanistan captain, as he along with mentor Ajay Jadeja and coach Jonathan Trott came up with brilliant plans. Afghanistan had a reputation for being a good T20 team, but a team which didn’t have the patience for ODIs. But their performance changed that perception quickly.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
Shahidi led from the front with 320 runs in 9 matches with a best of 80 and 3 fifties. He was the rock around whom the Afghan batting revolved. His captaincy was inspirational and the way he led them in wins over Pakistan and England was awe-inspiring. Particularly, using four spinners against both teams was a master stroke. <o:p></o:p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">4. Temba Bavuma- South Africa<o:p></o:p></h3>
<figure class="image" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1666843550475_Temba-Bavuma.jpeg" alt="Temba Bavuma" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption>Temba Bavuma. (Photo by DAVID GRAY/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption>
</figure>
<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/temba-bavuma/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Temba Bavuma</a> might not have succeeded with the bat in this CWC 2023, scoring just 145 runs in 8 matches. But remember, he was battling a hamstring injury and was out of form coming into the tournament. However, he excelled with his captaincy for South Africa. His planning in the semi-final against Australia to defend 212 runs was a brilliant exhibition of leadership.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">3. Kane Williamson and Tom Latham- New Zealand<o:p></o:p></h3>
<figure class="image" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1699107649356_Kane-Williamson.jpeg" alt="Kane Williamson." width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption>Kane Williamson. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
Kane Williamson didn’t play in the initial few matches for New Zealand and Tom Latham led in his stead. Both the cricketers did well as leaders, but as a batter, Latham faltered with just 155 runs in 10 innings. On the other hand, Williamson made 256 runs in 4 innings with 3 fifties. <o:p></o:p>
New Zealand threw away a great start to the tournament winning four matches, as they lost their next four and Williamson’s captaincy somewhere came under scrutiny. New Zealand somehow qualified for the semis where they were blown away by Indian in Mumbai. <o:p></o:p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">2. Rohit Sharma- India<o:p></o:p></h3>
<figure class="image" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1700043508438_sddas.jpeg" alt="Rohit Sharma" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption>Rohit Sharma (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
Rohit Sharma, one of the best captains in the ICC World Cup 2023, was great throughout the campaign. He led his team to the finals without losing a game, which played a significant role in India's victory. Rohit's lightning-fast starts have always set the tone for the competition's most successful batting lineup.<o:p></o:p>
He led from the front with 597 runs in 11 matches with one century and 3 fifties. However, misreading the pitch in the final and not playing an extra batter/all-rounder cost India the trophy against Australia. 
<h5 class="MsoNormal">Also read: <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cwc-cricket-world-cup/stats/batting-most-runs/?ref=hm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Most runs in ODI World Cup 2023</a></h5>
<o:p></o:p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">1. Pat Cummins- Australia</h3>
<figure class="image" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1700407575066_Pat-Cummins.jpeg" alt="Pat-Cummins" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption>Pat-Cummins. (Photo by PUNIT PARANJPE/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption>
</figure>
Pat Cummins was a contentious choice when he was named Australia's ODI captain. He has shown great leadership qualities and he reads the game and situations pretty quickly and adapts his plans accordingly. Many wrote off Australia after they lost their first two games, but Cummins kept them in the race and won the next eight to make it into the final. <o:p></o:p>
He won the toss and took a brave call to bowl first, which proved to be the right one. He silenced the Ahmedabad crowd by taking the wicket of Virat Kohli. And later lifted the ICC World Cup trophy as <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/australia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australia</a> became six-time champions. <o:p></o:p>

The 13th edition of the ICC World Cup was held in India. The top ten teams with the best players in the game competed in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. It also featured ten of the best captains trying to lead their respective teams to victory. In the end, Australia turned out to be the victors, lifting the trophy for the sixth time.<o:p></o:p>
Some of these captains did an excellent job as leaders and players, while others battled and failed badly, as evidenced by their team's results. We'll talk about the ten captains and how they performed throughout the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.<o:p></o:p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">Here is how the captains of all 10 teams are ranked after ICC World Cup 2023:<o:p></o:p></h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">10. Shakib Al Hasan- Bangladesh<o:p></o:p></h3>
<figure class="image"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1698161902683_Shakib-Al-Hasan.jpeg" alt="Shakib Al Hasan" loading="lazy">
<figcaption>Shakib Al Hasan. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
Shakib Al Hasan’s performance in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, was opposite to the outing he had in the 2019 World Cup where he had scored over 600 runs and taken 11 wickets. This time around, he was a colossal disaster while Bangladesh depended on him coming good. He made one half-century against Sri Lanka and 186 runs in seven innings. Shakib got nine wickets at an average of 36.55.<o:p></o:p>
As for his captaincy, it was mediocre at best. But he wrote his name in the record books as the first captain to ever appeal for a time-out dismissal in an international match. The incident happened in the match against <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/sri-lanka/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sri Lanka</a> when Angelo Mathews was timed out after Shakib appealed to the umpires.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">9. Kusal Mendis- Sri Lanka</h3>
<figure class="image"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1694720673245_Kusal-Mendis.jpeg" alt="Kusal Mendis" loading="lazy">
<figcaption>Kusal Mendis. ({Photo Source: ISHARA S.KODIKARA/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption>
</figure>
Kusal Mendis started the ICC World Cup 2023 with his bat on fire as he slammed a brilliant century against South Africa and did well against Pakistan. But once he took over captaincy from Dasun Shanaka, who was injured, his batting form evaporated.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
Sri Lanka’s campaign went downwards pretty quickly as his leadership proved to be insipid and he couldn’t lead from the front as well. With only two wins in the World Cup, Sri Lanka also failed to qualify for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. With the bat as captain, Mendis only managed 96 runs in 7 innings. <o:p></o:p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">8. Jos Buttler- England<o:p></o:p></h3>
<figure class="image"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1696655312505_Jos-Buttler.jpeg" alt="Jos Buttler" loading="lazy">
<figcaption>Jos Buttler(Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)</figcaption>
</figure>
Jos Buttler’s England team came into the ICC World Cup 2023 as one of the favourites to reach the semi-finals and win the Trophy. They even got Ben Stokes to unretire from ODIs and join the squad for the tournament. However, things unravelled quickly for England as they lost the CWC opener by a big margin.<o:p></o:p>
Despite beating Bangladesh, England continued a downward trend and their humiliation was complete when Afghanistan defeated them soundly. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/jos-buttler/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jos Buttler</a> looked like a captain who had no plans left at that time and he was going through the motions. His 138 runs with a top score of 42 didn’t help things either as England failed to make it to the knockouts. He was perhaps one of the tournament’s most disappointing captains.<o:p></o:p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">7. Babar Azam- Pakistan<o:p></o:p></h3>
<figure class="image"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1699107696006_Pakistan-Cricket-Team.jpeg" alt="Pakistan Cricket Team" loading="lazy">
<figcaption>Pakistan Cricket Team. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
Babar Azam entered the CWC 2023 as a No.1 ranked batter and it was expected of him to lead Pakistan to glory. But despite 320 runs in 9 matches, Babar couldn’t score a century, and captaincy-wise, he was extremely poor. Babar was accused of continuing to back his choice of players and his plans weren’t executed properly. The biggest humiliation for Pakistan came when they lost to Afghanistan and that too by 8 wickets defending 280-odd runs. His failure to inspire his team with his captaincy and his bat resulted in one of the poorest performances from Men in Green.<o:p></o:p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">6. Scott Edwards- Netherlands<o:p></o:p></h3>
<figure class="image"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1700480919064_Scott-Edwards.jpeg" alt="Scott Edwards" loading="lazy">
<figcaption>Scott Edwards. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
The Netherlands won two games in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, against South Africa and Sri Lanka, with skipper Scott Edwards leading the way in both. He scored 259 runs with a best of 78* and while the Dutch top-order faltered in most of the games, Edwards continued to impress with the bat.<o:p></o:p>
His captaincy was also top-grade, especially in both the games the Netherlands won. Against <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/south-africa/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">South Africa</a>, he brilliantly defended the total Netherlands posted. He kept the Proteas batters under pressure all the time, resulting in a great win. &nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">5. Hashmatullah Shahidi- Afghanistan<o:p></o:p></h3>
<figure class="image"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1698683370907_Azmatullah-Omarzai-and-Hashmatullah-Shahidi.jpeg" alt="Azmatullah Omarzai and Hashmatullah Shahidi" loading="lazy">
<figcaption>Azmatullah Omarzai and Hashmatullah Shahidi. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
Hashmatullah Shahidi was a decent choice as Afghanistan captain, as he along with mentor Ajay Jadeja and coach Jonathan Trott came up with brilliant plans. Afghanistan had a reputation for being a good T20 team, but a team which didn’t have the patience for ODIs. But their performance changed that perception quickly.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
Shahidi led from the front with 320 runs in 9 matches with a best of 80 and 3 fifties. He was the rock around whom the Afghan batting revolved. His captaincy was inspirational and the way he led them in wins over Pakistan and England was awe-inspiring. Particularly, using four spinners against both teams was a master stroke. <o:p></o:p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">4. Temba Bavuma- South Africa<o:p></o:p></h3>
<figure class="image"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1666843550475_Temba-Bavuma.jpeg" alt="Temba Bavuma" loading="lazy">
<figcaption>Temba Bavuma. (Photo by DAVID GRAY/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption>
</figure>
<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/temba-bavuma/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Temba Bavuma</a> might not have succeeded with the bat in this CWC 2023, scoring just 145 runs in 8 matches. But remember, he was battling a hamstring injury and was out of form coming into the tournament. However, he excelled with his captaincy for South Africa. His planning in the semi-final against Australia to defend 212 runs was a brilliant exhibition of leadership.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">3. Kane Williamson and Tom Latham- New Zealand<o:p></o:p></h3>
<figure class="image"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1699107649356_Kane-Williamson.jpeg" alt="Kane Williamson." loading="lazy">
<figcaption>Kane Williamson. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
Kane Williamson didn’t play in the initial few matches for New Zealand and Tom Latham led in his stead. Both the cricketers did well as leaders, but as a batter, Latham faltered with just 155 runs in 10 innings. On the other hand, Williamson made 256 runs in 4 innings with 3 fifties. <o:p></o:p>
New Zealand threw away a great start to the tournament winning four matches, as they lost their next four and Williamson’s captaincy somewhere came under scrutiny. New Zealand somehow qualified for the semis where they were blown away by Indian in Mumbai. <o:p></o:p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">2. Rohit Sharma- India<o:p></o:p></h3>
<figure class="image"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1700043508438_sddas.jpeg" alt="Rohit Sharma" loading="lazy">
<figcaption>Rohit Sharma (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
Rohit Sharma, one of the best captains in the ICC World Cup 2023, was great throughout the campaign. He led his team to the finals without losing a game, which played a significant role in India's victory. Rohit's lightning-fast starts have always set the tone for the competition's most successful batting lineup.<o:p></o:p>
He led from the front with 597 runs in 11 matches with one century and 3 fifties. However, misreading the pitch in the final and not playing an extra batter/all-rounder cost India the trophy against Australia. 
<h5 class="MsoNormal">Also read: <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cwc-cricket-world-cup/stats/batting-most-runs/?ref=hm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Most runs in ODI World Cup 2023</a></h5>
<o:p></o:p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">1. Pat Cummins- Australia</h3>
<figure class="image"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1700407575066_Pat-Cummins.jpeg" alt="Pat-Cummins" loading="lazy">
<figcaption>Pat-Cummins. (Photo by PUNIT PARANJPE/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption>
</figure>
Pat Cummins was a contentious choice when he was named Australia's ODI captain. He has shown great leadership qualities and he reads the game and situations pretty quickly and adapts his plans accordingly. Many wrote off Australia after they lost their first two games, but Cummins kept them in the race and won the next eight to make it into the final. <o:p></o:p>
He won the toss and took a brave call to bowl first, which proved to be the right one. He silenced the Ahmedabad crowd by taking the wicket of Virat Kohli. And later lifted the ICC World Cup trophy as <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/australia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australia</a> became six-time champions. <o:p></o:p>

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