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.

Imran Khan took record 187 wickets in 48 Tests as captain of Pakistan team. (photo - Getty)

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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