List of South Africa national cricket captains explained

South Africa played its first Test match in cricket in 1889 against England at Port Elizabeth, becoming the third Test nation after England and Australia. This is a list of the men and women who have been the official South African captains in cricket.

South Africa was a founder member of the International Cricket Council in 1909. However, the South African team did not play official Test cricket from 1970 to 1991, having been suspended from membership by the ICC as a result of controversy over apartheid (most particularly the reaction to the Basil d'Oliveira affair). There were a number of rebel tours to South Africa in the intervening period, but none of the matches are recognised as official Test matches and are italicised below. South Africa rejoined the ICC, and resumed playing official Test cricket, in 1991.

Men's cricket

Test match captains

This is a list of cricketers who have captained the South African cricket team for at least one Test match. Where a player has a dagger (†) next to a Test match series in which he captained at least one Test, that denotes that player deputised for the appointed captain or were appointed by the home authority for a minor proportion in a series. The dagger classification follows that adopted by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack.

The table of results is complete up to the second Test against Australia in December 2022.

South African Test match captains[1]
NumberImageNameSeasonReportOppositionLocationPlayedWonLostDrawn
11888–89 South Africa 1 0 1 0
21888–89 South Africa 1 0 1 0
1891–92 South Africa 1 0 1 0
Total 2 0 2 0
3Ernest Halliwell1895–96 South Africa 2 0 2 0
1902–03 South Africa 1 0 1 0
Total 3 0 3 0
41895–96† South Africa 1 0 1 0
51898–99 South Africa 2 0 2 0
61902–03 South Africa 1 0 0 1
71902–03 South Africa 1 0 1 0
81905–06 South Africa 5 4 1 0
1907 England 3 0 1 2
1910–11 Australia 5 1 4 0
Total 13 5 6 2
91909–10 South Africa 5 3 2 0
101912 England 2 0 2 0
1912 England 1 0 1 0
Total 3 0 3 0
111912 England 2 0 2 0
1912 England 1 0 0 1
Total 3 0 2 1
12Herbie Taylor1913–14 South Africa 5 0 4 1
1921–22 South Africa 3 0 1 2
1922–23 South Africa 5 1 2 2
1924 England 5 0 3 2
Total 18 1 10 7
13Nummy Deane1927–28 South Africa 5 2 2 1
1929 England 5 0 2 3
1930–31 South Africa 2 0 0 2
Total 12 2 4 6
141930–31† South Africa 1 1 0 0
15Jock Cameron1930–31 South Africa 2 0 0 2
1931–32 Australia 5 0 5 0
1931–32 New Zealand 2 2 0 0
Total 9 2 5 2
16Herbie Wade1935 England 5 1 0 4
1935–36 South Africa 5 0 4 1
Total 10 1 4 5
17Alan Melville1938–39 South Africa 5 0 1 4
1947 England 5 0 3 2
Total 10 0 4 6
18Dudley Nourse1948–49 South Africa 5 0 2 3
1949–50 South Africa 5 0 4 1
1951 England 5 1 3 1
Total 15 1 9 5
19Jack Cheetham1952–53 Australia 5 2 2 1
1952–53 New Zealand 2 1 0 1
1953–54 South Africa 5 4 0 1
1955 England 3 0 3 0
Total 15 7 5 3
20Jackie McGlew1955† England 2 2 0 0
1956–57† South Africa 1 0 1 0
1957–58† South Africa 1 0 0 1
1960 England 5 0 3 2
1961–62 South Africa 5 2 2 1
Total 14 4 6 4
21Clive van Ryneveld1956–57 South Africa 4 2 1 1
1957–58 South Africa 4 0 3 1
Total 8 2 4 2
22Trevor Goddard1963–64 Australia 5 1 1 3
1963–64 New Zealand 3 0 0 3
1964–65 South Africa 5 0 1 4
Total 13 1 2 10
23Peter van der Merwe
1965 England 3 1 0 2
1966–67 South Africa 5 3 1 1
Total 8 4 1 3
241969–70 South Africa 4 4 0 0
-1981–82 Report England South Africa 3 1 0 2
-Peter Kirsten1982–83 Report Sri Lanka South Africa 2 2 0 0
1982–83 Report West Indies South Africa 2 1 1 0
1983–84 Report West Indies South Africa 2 1 0 1
Total 6 4 1 1
-Clive Rice
1983–84Report West Indies South Africa 2 0 2 0
1985–86 Report Australia South Africa 3 1 0 2
1986–87 Report Australia South Africa 4 1 0 3
Total 9 2 2 5
-1989–90 Report England South Africa 1 1 0 0
25Kepler Wessels1991–92 West Indies 1 0 1 0
1992–93 South Africa 4 1 0 3
1993–94 Sri Lanka 3 1 0 2
1993–94 Australia 2 1 0 1
1993–94 South Africa 3 1 1 1
1994 England 3 1 1 1
Total 16 5 3 8
261993–94† Australia 1 0 1 0
1994–95 South Africa 3 2 1 0
1994–95 South Africa 1 1 0 0
1994–95 New Zealand 1 1 0 0
1995–96 Zimbabwe 1 1 0 0
1995–96 South Africa 5 1 0 4
1996–97 India 3 1 2 0
1996–97 South Africa 3 2 0 1
1996–97 South Africa 3 1 2 0
1997–98 Pakistan 3 1 0 2
1997–98 Australia 3 0 1 2
1997–98 South Africa 2 1 1 0
1997–98 South Africa 2 2 0 0
1998 England 5 1 2 2
1998–99 South Africa 5 5 0 0
1998–99 New Zealand 3 1 0 2
1999–2000 South Africa 1 1 0 0
1999–2000 Zimbabwe 1 1 0 0
1999–2000 South Africa 5 2 1 2
1999–2000 India 2 2 0 0
Total 53 27 11 15
271997–98† South Africa 1 0 0 1
28Shaun Pollock2000–01 Sri Lanka 3 1 1 1
2000–01 South Africa 3 2 0 1
2000–01 South Africa 3 2 0 1
2000–01 West Indies 5 2 1 2
2001–02 Zimbabwe 2 1 0 1
2001–02 South Africa 2 1 0 1
2001–02 Australia 3 0 3 0
2002–03 South Africa 1 1 0 0
2002–03 South Africa 2 2 0 0
2002–03 South Africa 2 2 0 0
Total 26 14 5 7
29Mark Boucher2001–02 South Africa 3 1 2 0
2002–03† South Africa 1 1 0 0
Total 4 2 2 0
302003 Bangladesh 2 2 0 0
2003 England 5 2 2 1
2003–04 Pakistan 2 0 1 1
2003–04 South Africa 4 3 0 1
2003–04 New Zealand 3 1 1 1
2004 Sri Lanka 2 0 1 1
2004–05 India 2 0 1 1
2004–05 South Africa 5 1 2 2
2004–05 South Africa 2 2 0 0
2005 West Indies 4 2 0 2
2005–06 Australia 3 0 2 1
2005–06 South Africa 2 0 2 0
2005–06 South Africa 3 2 0 1
2006–07 South Africa 3 2 1 0
2006–07 South Africa 3 2 1 0
2007–08 Pakistan 2 1 0 1
2007–08 South Africa 2 2 0 0
2007–08 South Africa 3 2 1 0
2007–08 Bangladesh 2 2 0 0
2007–08 India 3 1 1 1
2008 England 4 2 1 1
2008–09 South Africa 2 2 0 0
2008–09 ReportAustralia 3 2 1 0
2008–09 South Africa 2 0 2 0
2009–10 South Africa 4 1 1 2
2009–10 India 2 1 1 0
2010 West Indies 3 2 0 1
2010–11 United Arab Emirates 2 0 0 2
2010–11 South Africa 3 1 1 1
2011–12 South Africa 2 1 1 0
2011–12 South Africa 3 2 1 0
2011–12 New Zealand 3 1 0 2
2012 England 3 2 0 1
2012–13 Australia 3 1 0 2
2012–13 South Africa 2 2 0 0
2012–13 South Africa 3 3 0 0
2013–14 United Arab Emirates 2 1 1 0
2013–14 South Africa 2 1 0 1
2013–14 South Africa 3 1 2 0
Total 108 53 28 27
312005–06† South Africa 1 0 1 0
2008–09† South Africa 1 1 0 0
Total 2 1 1 0
322006 Sri Lanka 2 0 2 0
332014 Sri Lanka 2 1 0 1
2014 Zimbabwe 1 1 0 0
2014–15 South Africa 3 2 0 1
2015 Bangladesh 2 0 0 2
2015–16 India4 0 3 1
2015–16 South Africa 2 0 1 1
Total 14 4 4 6
342015–16 South Africa 2 1 1 0
2017–18† South Africa 1 1 0 0
Total 3 2 1 0
35Faf du Plessis
2016† South Africa 2 1 0 1
2016–17† Australia 3 2 1 0
2016–17 South Africa 3 3 0 0
2016–17 New Zealand 3 1 0 2
2017 England 3 1 2 0
2017–18 South Africa 2 2 0 0
2017–18 South Africa 3 2 1 0
2017–18 South Africa 4 3 1 0
2018 Sri Lanka 2 0 2 0
2018–19 South Africa 2 2 0 0
2018–19 South Africa 2 0 2 0
2019–20 India 3 0 3 0
2019–20 South Africa 4 1 3 0
Total 3618153
36Dean Elgar
2017† England 1 0 1 0
2018–19† South Africa 1 1 0 0
2021 West Indies 2 2 0 0
2021–22 ReportSouth Africa 3 2 1 0
2021–22 New Zealand 2 1 1 0
2021–22 South Africa 2 2 0 0
2022 England 3 1 2 0
2022–23 Australia 2 0 2 0
Total 13 9 7 0
37Quinton de Kock
2020–21 South Africa 2 2 0 0
2020–21 Pakistan 2 0 2 0
Total 4 2 2 0
38Temba Bavuma2023ReportWest IndiesSouth Africa2200
Grand total 459177158124

One Day International captains

This is a complete list of cricketers who have captained South Africa in at least one One Day International. Updated on 21 March 2023.

South African ODI captains[2]
NumberNamePeriod of captaincyPlayedWonLostTiedNo result% won
11991 3 1 2 0 0 33.33
21992–1994 52 20 30 0 2 40.00
31994–2000 138 99 35 1 3 73.70
42000–2005 92 59 29 3 1 66.48
52003–2011 149 92 51 1 5 64.23
62003 1 1 0 0 0 100.00
72005 1 1 0 0 0 100.00
82006–2010 13 6 6 0 1 50.00
92008–2010 10 8 2 0 0 80.00
102011–2015 9 4 5 0 0 44.44
112012–2017 103 59 391 4 60.10
122013–2019 39 28 10 0 1 73.68
132018-2023 12 6 6 0 0 50.00
142018–2020 8 4 3 0 1 57.14
152018 2 2 0 0 0 100.00
16Temba Bavuma2021–present3317150150.00
17Keshav Maharaj2021-20227230240.00
18David Miller2022101000.00
Grand total 652 397 228 6 21 60.88

Twenty20 International captains

This is a list of cricketers who have captained South Africa for at least one Twenty20 International.

Updated on 23 October 2021.

South Africa Twenty20 International captains[3]
NumberNamePeriod of captaincyPlayedWonLostTiedNo result% won
12005–2010 27 18 9 0 0 66.66
22007 1 0 1 0 0 0.00
32008–2012 11 8 3 0 0 72.72
42011 2 1 1 0 0 50.00
52012–2017 18 8 9 0 1 47.05
62012–2019 37 23 13 1 0 63.51
72014–2019 11 6 5 0 0 54.54
82015 1 1 0 0 0 100.00
92017 3 1 2 0 0 33.33
102019 2 1 1 0 0 50.00
112019-2021 11 3 8 0 0 27.27
122021 7 2 5 0 0 28.57
13Temba Bavuma2021–20239630066.66
14Keshav Maharaj202133000100.00
15Aiden Markram2023–present8260025.00
Grand total 145 82 61 1 1 57.34

Women's cricket

Women's Test match captains

This is a list of cricketers who have captained the South African women's cricket team for at least one women's Test match. Where a player has a dagger (†) next to a Test match series in which she captained at least one Test, that denotes that player was captain for a minor proportion in a series.

South African women's Test captains[4]
NumberNameSeasonOppositionLocationPlayedWonLostDrawn% won
1 South Africa 4 0 1 3 0.00
2 South Africa 3 0 1 2 0.00
3 South Africa 1 0 1 0 0.00
4 England 2 0 1 1 0.00
5 Netherlands 1 1 0 0 100.00
6 India 1 0 1 0 0.00
7 England 1 0 0 1 0.00
8Laura Wolvaardt2024IndiaIndia1
Grand total 13 1 5 7 7.69

Women's One-Day International captains

This is a list of cricketers who have captained the South African women's cricket team for at least one women's one-day international. The table of results is complete up to the third WODI against India on 12 March 2021.

South African women's ODI captains[5]
NumberNameYearPlayedWonLostTiedNo result% won
1 1997–2000 26 13 12 0 1 52.00
2 1999 3 0 3 0 0 0.00
3 1999–2002 6 2 3 0 1 40.00
4 2003–2005 19 4 14 0 1 22.22
5 2007–2011 23 16 6 0 1 72.72
6 2009 7 3 3 1 0 50.00
7 2009 1 0 1 0 0 0.00
8 2011–2016 46 24 19 0 3 55.81
9 2016 53 2 0 0 66.6
10 2016–2021 50 29 18 2 1 61.22
11 2016 1 0 1 0 0 0.00
12 2017–present 34 19 11 2 2 62.50
13 2017–2018 4 3 1 0 0 75.00
14 2021 2 2 0 0 0 100.00
Grand total 227 118 94 5 10 51.98

Women's Twenty20 Internationals

This is a list of cricketers who have captained the South African women's cricket team for at least one Women's Twenty20 International. It is complete up to the sixth T20I against India on 4 October 2019.

South African women's T20I captains[6]
NumberNameYearPlayedWonLostTiedNo result% won
1 2007–2010 12 3 9 0 0 25.00
2 2009 5 0 5 0 0 0.00
3 2009 1 0 1 0 0 0.00
4 2011–2016 50 24 25 0 1 48.97
5 2014–2021 30 15 13 0 2 50.00
6 2016 2 1 1 0 0 50.00
7 2018–2022 6 3 3 0 0 50.00
8 2019–present 26 12 13 0 0 48.00
Grand total 132 58 70 0 3 43.93

Youth cricket

Test match captains

This is a list of cricketers who have captained the South African U-19 cricket team for at least one under-19 Test match. The table of results is complete to the away second Test against India in February 2019. Where a player has a dagger (†) next to a Test match series in which he captained at least one Test, that denotes that player was captain for a minor proportion in a series.

South African Under-19 Test match captains[7]
NumberNameYearOppositionLocationPlayedWonLostDrawn
1 1995 England 3 0 2 1
2 1996 India 3 1 1 1
3 1997 South Africa 3 0 2 1
4 1997 South Africa 2 0 0 2
5 1999 Pakistan 3 0 1 2
6 2001 New Zealand 3 0 2 1
7 2003 England 3 2 0 1
82007/08 South Africa 1 0 0 1
2008 South Africa 1 0 0 1
Total 2 0 0 2
9 2008 South Africa 1 0 1 0
10 2013 South Africa 2 1 1 0
11 2014 England 2 0 0 2
12Wiaan Mulder2016Sri Lanka3003
13Wandile Makwetu2018England2020
14Matt Montgomery2019India2020
Grand total 34 4 14 16

Youth One-day International captains

This is a list of cricketers who have captained the South African Under-19 cricket team for at least one Under-19 One Day International. The table of results is complete up to the conclusion of the away fifth ODI against Bangladesh in July 2023.

South African Under-19 ODI captains[8]
NumberNameYearPlayedWonLostNo result
1 1995 2 0 2 0
2 1996 3 0 3 0
3 1997 1 1 0 0
4 1997 2 1 1 0
5 1998 8 7 1 0
6 1999–2000 9 5 3 1
7 2001 2 0 1 1
8 2001 1 1 0 0
9 2002 8 5 3 0
10 2003 2 1 0 1
11 2004 6 3 3 0
12 2005–2006 10 3 7 0
13 2008–2009 6 3 3 0
14 2008 8 4 4 0
15 2009–2010 9 6 3 0
16 2010–2011 16 13 2 1
17 2011 1 1 0 0
18 2012 9 5 4 0
20 2012 1 1 0 0
21 2012 6 5 1 0
22 2013 4 4 0 0
23 2013 5 3 2 0
24 2013–2014 8 8 0 0
25 2014–2015 9 0 9 0
26 2014 1 0 1 0
27 2015–2016 13 6 7 0
28 2015 1 0 1 0
29 2015 1 0 1 0
30Wiaan Mulder2016-20179630
31Mitchell Van Buuren20172220
32Raynard van Tonder2017-201814770
33Wandile Makwetu20182200
3420192200
35Bryce Parsons2019-2020174130
36Khanya Cotani20193030
37George Van Heerden2021-202210550
38David Teeger20233120
39Juan James20232110
Grand total 216 116 97 4

See also

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: List of captains: South Africa – Tests . Cricinfo . 3 February 2016.
  2. Web site: List of captains: South Africa – ODIs . Cricinfo . 14 February 2016.
  3. Web site: List of captains: South Africa – T20 . Cricinfo . 3 February 2016.
  4. Web site: List of captains: South Africa women – Tests . Cricinfo . 3 February 2016.
  5. Web site: List of captains: South Africa women – ODI . Cricinfo . 3 February 2016.
  6. Web site: List of captains: South Africa women – T20 . Cricinfo . 3 February 2016.
  7. Web site: List of captains: South Africa Under-19s – Tests . Cricinfo . 3 February 2016.
  8. Web site: List of captains: South Africa Under-19s – ODIs . Cricinfo . 12 February 2016.