The ultimate stopgap captains
Players whose captaincy tenures were broken up into the most pieces, like that of Javed Miandad, who was appointed Pakistan's captain on six separate occasions

Javed Miandad often had to fill in for Imran Khan as Pakistan's captain • Associated Press
Player | Span | Mat | Capt | Num | List | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Javed Miandad (Pak) | 1976-1993 | 124 | 34 | 6 | 1979/80 v Aus to 1981/82 v SL (13), 1984/85 v NZ to 1985/86 v SL (6), 1987/88 v Eng to 1987/88 v Eng (3), 1988/89 v Aus to 1988/89 v Aus (3), 1990/91 v NZ to 1990/91 v NZ (3), 1992 v Eng to 1992/93 v NZ (6) | ||
MC Cowdrey (Eng) | 1954-1975 | 114 | 27 | 5 | 1959 v India to 1959 v India (2), 1959/60 v WI to 1961 v Aus (9), 1962 v Pak (1), 1966 v WI to 1966 v WI (3), 1967/68 v WI to 1968/69 v Pak (12) | ||
SM Gavaskar (India) | 1971-1987 | 125 | 47 | 5 | 1975/76 v NZ (1), 1978/79 v WI to 1978/79 v WI (6), 1979/80 v Aus to 1979/80 v Pak (11), 1980/81 v Aus to 1982/83 v Pak (22), 1984/85 v Pak to 1984/85 v Eng (7) | ||
AJ Stewart (Eng) | 1990-2003 | 133 | 15 | 5 | 1992/93 v India (1), 1992/93 v SL (1), 1998 v SA to 1998/99 v Aus (11), 2000 v WI (1), 2001 v Pak (1) | ||
KJ Hughes (Aus) | 1977-1984 | 70 | 28 | 4 | 1978/79 v Pak to 1979/80 v India (7), 1981 v Eng to 1981 v Eng (6), 1982/83 v Pak to 1982/83 v Pak (3), 1983/84 v Pak to 1984/85 v WI (12) | ||
Wasim Akram (Pak) | 1985-2002 | 104 | 25 | 4 | 1992/93 v WI to 1993/94 v Zim (5), 1995/96 v Aus to 1996/97 v Zim (9), 1997/98 v WI to 1997/98 v WI (3), 1998/99 v India to 1999/00 v Aus (8) | ||
AC Gilchrist (Aus) | 1999-2008 | 96 | 6 | 4 | 2000/01 v WI (1), 2001 v Eng (1), 2004 v SL (1), 2004/05 v India to 2004/05 v India (3) | ||
R Dravid (ICC/India) | 1996-2012 | 163 | 25 | 4 | 2003/04 v NZ (1), 2003/04 v Pak to 2003/04 v Pak (2), 2004/05 v Aus to 2004/05 v Aus (2), 2005/06 v SL to 2007 v Eng (20) | ||
BC Lara (ICC/WI) | 1990-2006 | 131 | 47 | 4 | 1996/97 v India (1), 1997/98 v Eng to 1999/00 v NZ (17), 2003 v Aus to 2004 v Eng (22), 2006 v India to 2006/07 v Pak (7) |
Player | Span | Mat | Capt | Num | List | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Javed Miandad (Pak) | 1975-1996 | 233 | 62 | 12 | 1980/81 v WI to 1981/82 v SL (15), 1983/84 v WI to 1983/84 v WI (3), 1984/85 v NZ to 1985/86 v SL (15), 1985/86 v NZ to 1985/86 v Aus (2), 1986/87 v WI (1), 1986/87 v Aus (1), 1988/89 v Aus to 1988/89 v SL (5), 1989/90 v India (1), 1990/91 v NZ to 1990/91 v NZ (3), 1991/92 v WI (1), 1991/92 v Eng (1), 1992 v Eng to 1992/93 v Aus (14) | ||
AC Gilchrist (Aus/ICC) | 1996-2008 | 287 | 17 | 12 | 2000/01 v WI to 2000/01 v Zim (3), 2002 v Kenya (1), 2002/03 v Eng (1), 2003/04 v India (1), 2003/04 v SL (1), 2004/05 v NZ (1), 2005/06 v SL to 2005/06 v SL (2), 2005/06 v SA to 2005/06 v SA (2), 2005/06 v Ban (1), 2006/07 v Eng (1), 2006/07 v Eng (1), 2007/08 v India to 2007/08 v India (2) | ||
IVA Richards (WI) | 1975-1991 | 187 | 105 | 10 | 1980 v Eng (1), 1981/82 v Aus to 1981/82 v Aus (2), 1983/84 v India (1), 1983/84 v Pak (1), 1983/84 v Pak (1), 1983/84 v Aus (1), 1983/84 v Aus (1), 1984/85 v SL (1), 1984/85 v SL (1), 1984/85 v NZ to 1991 v Eng (95) | ||
AJ Stewart (Eng) | 1989-2003 | 170 | 41 | 8 | 1991/92 v NZ (1), 1991/92 v SA to 1991/92 v NZ (2), 1992 v Pak (1), 1992/93 v SL to 1992/93 v SL (2), 1995/96 v SA (1), 1998 v SL to 2000 v WI (27), 2001 v Pak to 2001 v Aus (6), 2002/03 v Nam (1) | ||
R Dravid (Asia/ICC/India) | 1996-2011 | 344 | 79 | 8 | 2000/01 v Zim (1), 2001 v SL (1), 2002/03 v WI to 2002/03 v WI (2), 2003/04 v NZ to 2003/04 v NZ (4), 2003/04 v Aus (1), 2003/04 v Zim (1), 2004/05 v Pak to 2005 v SL (7), 2005/06 v SL to 2007 v Eng (62) | ||
DPMD Jayawardene (Asia/SL) | 1998-2012 | 359 | 97 | 7 | 2004 v Zim (1), 2004 v UAE (1), 2004 v SA to 2004 v SA (2), 2005 v WI (1), 2005 v Ban (1), 2005/06 v Ban to 2005/06 v Ban (3), 2005/06 v Pak to 2008/09 v India (88) | ||
JG Wright (NZ) | 1978-1992 | 149 | 31 | 6 | 1982/83 v SL (1), 1983/84 v SL (1), 1985/86 v SL to 1985/86 v Pak (2), 1987/88 v SL (1), 1987/88 v SL (1), 1987/88 v Eng to 1990 v Eng (25) | ||
MA Taylor (Aus) | 1989-1997 | 113 | 67 | 6 | 1992/93 v WI to 1992/93 v WI (4), 1992/93 v NZ (1), 1992/93 v NZ (1), 1993 v Eng (1), 1993/94 v SA (1), 1993/94 v SL to 1997 v Eng (59) | ||
A Jadeja (India) | 1992-2000 | 196 | 13 | 6 | 1998 v Kenya to 1998 v Ban (2), 1998/99 v Zim (1), 1998/99 v SL to 1998/99 v Pak (3), 1998/99 v Eng to 1998/99 v Pak (2), 1999 v Aus (1), 1999/00 v SA to 1999/00 v SA (4) | ||
BC Lara (ICC/WI) | 1990-2007 | 299 | 125 | 6 | 1994/95 v India (1), 1994/95 v NZ (1), 1997/98 v Eng to 1999/00 v NZ (42), 2003 v Aus to 2004 v Eng (35), 2004/05 v Aus to 2004/05 v Pak (6), 2006 v Zim to 2006/07 v Eng (40) | ||
MJ Clarke (Aus) | 2003-2011 | 206 | 35 | 6 | 2008 v WI to 2008 v Ban (5), 2008/09 v NZ (1), 2009 v Pak to 2009 v Eng (9), 2010/11 v India to 2010/11 v SL (2), 2010/11 v SL to 2010/11 v Eng (7), 2011 v Ban to 2011/12 v SA (11) | ||
V Sehwag (Asia/ICC/India) | 1999-2011 | 240 | 11 | 6 | 2003 v Ban (1), 2005/06 v SL (1), 2005/06 v Eng (1), 2006/07 v SA to 2006/07 v SA (2), 2009/10 v SL to 2009/10 v SL (2), 2011/12 v WI to 2011/12 v WI (4) |
Travis Basevi is a cricket statistician and UK Senior Programmer for ESPNcricinfo and other ESPN sports websites. George Binoy is an Assistant Editor at ESPNcricinfo