Five players with most ODI appearances who never captained their team

The game of cricket has witnessed some marvellous leaders during its existence. However, even as some legendary names have graced the game for many moons, they never managed to don a captain’s hat, leaving for one and all to guess what kind of leaders would they have made. On that note, here are five players who played ODIs without captaining even once –

5. Glenn McGrath

A tall and skilful pacer from a nation that produced truckloads of quicks, Glenn McGrath was one of the finest of the lot and was a part of the most dominant Australian eleven. In a career spanning from 1993 to 2007, McGrath went onto represent his side in a whopping 250 ODIs, claiming 381 wickets at an average and strike rate of 22.02 and 34.04 respectively, however, he did not lead his team even once given the nation had some fabulous skippers throughout the period.

4. Ijaz Ahmed 

Ijaz Ahmed made his debut for Pakistan in the 50-overs game against West Indies in 1986. Having started his career as a lower-order batter, he became a floater in the team before solidifying his spot in the top-order. He played for Pakistan in 250 ODIs, amassing 6564 runs at 32.33 with 37 half-centuries and 10 centuries, although not once in his entire career of 14 years he led the side.

3. Chris Harris

One of the best all-rounders to have played the game for New Zealand, Chris Harris accumulated 4379 runs at an average of 29 with 16 fifties and 203 wickets at 37.5 in a 14-year career running from 1990 to 2004. Harris, who both debuted and retired against Australia, holds the distinction of being the first New Zealand player to play 250 ODIs. However, much like Ahmed and McGrath, he never led his national team.

2. Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh had everything in him to justify the all-rounder tag. He could single-handedly tear apart bowlers; was the go-to bowler to break partnerships, and had the safest hands as he guarded the point region for the majority of his career. With 8701 runs and 111 wickets from 304 ODIs, Yuvraj might have gotten many records to his name, but he also is second on the list of most-capped players who never led his team.

1. Muttiah Muralitharan

Sri Lanka’s veteran spinner Muttiah Muralitharan tops this list, having played a massive 350 ODIs without having led his team even once in his entire 18-year career. There is not a single bowling chart that goes without the mentions of Muralitharan, who is the leading wicket-taker in both Tests and ODIs with a staggering 800 and 547 wickets against his name. Despite leading the record charts and his team’s bowling attack for nearly two decades, the off-spinner never led Sri Lanka as a skipper.