Stats: Most Wickets, Fifers, Best Averages and Bowling Figures by captains in Tests

Pakistan's Imran Khan holds the record of most wickets as captain in Test cricket.

By Jasveer Singh Kharra - 06 Apr, 2020

We have seen cricket's most of the great captains are either batsmen or all-rounder but there are some bowlers like Imran Khan, Richie Benaud, Wasim Akram, Anil Kumble and Courtney Walsh who too did a good job as captain.

All these players led from the front and won many Tests and series for their teams and captaincy also took them to places. And here is a list of most wickets, fifers, best averages and bowling figures as captain in Test cricket.

Most Wickets as captain in Test cricket -

187 - Imran Khan (Pakistan, 48 Tests)

138 - Richie Benaud (Australia, 28 Tests)

117 - Gary Sobers (West Indies, 39 Tests)

116 - Daniel Vettori (New Zealand, 32 Tests)

111 - Kapil Dev (India, 34 Tests)

107 - Wasim Akram (Pakistan, 25 Tests)

106 - Bishan Singh Bedi (India, 22 Tests)

103 - Shaun Pollock (South Africa, 26 Tests)

90 - Jason Holder (West Indies, 32 Tests)

85 - Courtney Walsh (West Indies, 22 Tests)

Most Fifers as captain in Test cricket -

12 - Imran Khan (Pakistan)

9 - Richie Benaud (Australia)

8 - Bishan Singh Bedi (India)

7 - Courtney Walsh (West Indies)

6 - Jason Holder (West Indies)

6 - Daniel Vettori (New Zealand)

5 - Fazal Mahmood (Pakistan)

5 - Intikhab Alam (Pakistan)

4 - Gubby Allen (England)

4 - Kapil Dev (India)

4 - Shaun Pollock (South Africa)

4 - Shakib al Hasan (Bangladesh) 

Best Averages as captain in Test cricket (Min 50 wickets) -

20.26 - Imran Khan (Pakistan, 187 wickets)

21.36 - Shaun Pollock (South Africa, 103 wickets)

21.59 - Bob Willis (England, 77 wickets)

23.35 - Wasim Akram (Pakistan, 107 wickets)

23.47 - Waqar Younis (Pakistan, 67 wickets)

24.77 - Jason Holder (West Indies, 90 wickets)

24.82 - Bishan Singh Bedi (India, 106 wickets)

25.71 - Courtney Walsh (West Indies, 85 wickets)

25.78 - Richie Benaud (Australia, 138 wickets)

26.35 - Kapil Dev (India, 111 wickets) 

Best bowling figures in an innings as captain in Test cricket -

9/83 - Kapil Dev (IND) vs WI at Ahmedabad, 1983

8/60 - Imran Khan (PAK) vs IND at Karachi, 1982

8/63 - Rangana Herath (SL) vs ZIM at Harare, 2016

8/106 - Kapil Dev (IND) vs AUS at Adelaide, 1985

7/37 - Courtney Walsh (WI) vs NZ at Wellington, 1995

7/40 - Imran Khan (PAK) vs ENG at Leeds, 1987

7/44 - Ian Johnson (AUS) vs WI at Georgetown, 1955

7/46 - Allan Border (AUS) vs WI at Sydney, 1989

7/52 - Intikhab Alam (PAK) vs NZ at Dunedin, 1973

7/52 - Imran Khan (PAK) vs ENG at Birmingham, 1982 

By Jasveer Singh Kharra - 06 Apr, 2020

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