World Cricket has evolved in many ways over the last 10 years, and so have the leaders of the various teams. The style of play, the tactics and the way in which the game is played have all changed, and the captains of the various teams have followed suit. Here is a look at 8 of the current top cricket captains and how their careers have evolved:
1. Faf du Plessis
Predecessor: AB de Villiers
Du Plessis has fast become one of world cricket’s most composed batsmen. After taking over the reins from ‘Superman’ himself, du Plessis has managed to take the Proteas to the top of the ICC ODI rankings, and will still be waiting to break South Africa’s “choker” jinx when it comes to big ICC tournaments.
2. Joe Root/Eoin Morgan
Predecessor: Alistair Cook
The test match reins were recently handed to the young Joe Root, while the ODI and T20 teams remain under Morgan. Joe Root has had a meteorical rise to the top echelons of World Cricket, and in a very short span in his career has shown a very calm head, and can be trusted. Eoin Morgan has been around for a while now, and has had to stick around for a long time to prove himself. A very handy middle order batsman, he will be looking to lead England to a major trophy victory.
3. Virat Kohli
Predecessor: MS Dhoni
The number 1 ODI batsman in the world, he has taken the captaincy from cricket’s most successful captain. Kohli showed great leadership qualities by leading the under-19 Indian team to the youth World Cup. He showed immense talent, and was drafted into the team, and was a part of the World Cup winning squad in 2011. He has shown good leadership quality, and has a great mentor in MS Dhoni, who can teach him to grow more mature, and Kohli will be waiting to bring home a major trophy.
4. Sarfaraz Ahmed
Predecessor: Azhar Ali
Having taken over from short-term captain Ali, Sarfaraz became extremely famous in his home nation by beating arch rivals India to claim the ICC Champions Trophy. He has been in the team for a while, and has never been a remarkable performer as such, but through sheer grit and determination, has managed to not only stay on, but also lead the team and take them to great heights.
5. Dinesh Chandimal
Predecessor: Angelo Mathews
Mathews recently stepped down from the Test captaincy after a loss to Zimbabwe. Chandimal takes over as the new captain, as a relatively new face, having been on the fringes for a while now. Mathews has been a solid cricketer for the Lankans for a long time now, and was the obvious choice to lead after Dilshan stepped down. He has always been Mr. Reliable, and is a good all round cricketer.
6. Kane Williamson
Predecessor: Brendon Mccullum/Ross Taylor
Kane Williamson has been a part of New Zealand’s middle order for a long time now, and has shown tremendous maturity when called upon. He has a task upon him to take the team to greater heights, and get to the latter stages of world tournaments. He took over from long serving Kiwi legend, Brendon Mccullum, and will be looking to lead the team to great things.
7. Steve Smith
Predecessor: Michael Clarke
Steve Smith started out as a lower order batsman, and part time leg spinner, who was never really at the fore of things. He shot to prominence during an Indian summer when he absolutely refused to get out to the Indians, and made big scores abroad. He was asked to lead the team after Michael Clarke’s retiry, and has lead the team from the front with some splendid batting. He has made Australia a strong contender for any trophy they compete for.
8. Jason Holder
Predecessor: Darren Sammy
Jason Holder was a surprise announcement as captain, after the much loved and jovial Sammy was asked to step down. Having been a part of the team as a young fast bowler under Sammy, and would have gained inputs from his time under MS Dhoni at CSK. He has a young team under him, and as of now, they need to work on their big game experience, and fight to keep their place in the top ranks of world cricket.
By Aravind Harish
