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]
Number Image Name Season Report Opposition Location Played Won Lost Drawn
1 Owen Dunell 1888–89 Report England South Africa 1 0 1 0
2 William Milton 1888–89 Report England South Africa 1 0 1 0
1891–92 Report England South Africa 1 0 1 0
Total 2 0 2 0
3 Ernest Halliwell 1895–96 Report England South Africa 2 0 2 0
1902–03 Report Australia South Africa 1 0 1 0
Total 3 0 3 0
4 Alfred Richards 1895–96† Report England South Africa 1 0 1 0
5 Murray Bisset 1898–99 Report England South Africa 2 0 2 0
6 Henry Taberer 1902–03 Report Australia South Africa 1 0 0 1
7 Biddy Anderson 1902–03 Report Australia South Africa 1 0 1 0
8 Percy Sherwell 1905–06 Report England South Africa 5 4 1 0
1907 Report England England 3 0 1 2
1910–11 Report Australia Australia 5 1 4 0
Total 13 5 6 2
9 Tip Snooke 1909–10 Report England South Africa 5 3 2 0
10 Frank Mitchell 1912 Report Australia England 2 0 2 0
1912 Report England England 1 0 1 0
Total 3 0 3 0
11 Louis Tancred 1912 Report England England 2 0 2 0
1912 Report Australia England 1 0 0 1
Total 3 0 2 1
12 Herbie Taylor 1913–14 Report England South Africa 5 0 4 1
1921–22 Report Australia South Africa 3 0 1 2
1922–23 Report England South Africa 5 1 2 2
1924 Report England England 5 0 3 2
Total 18 1 10 7
13 Nummy Deane 1927–28 Report England South Africa 5 2 2 1
1929 Report England England 5 0 2 3
1930–31 Report England South Africa 2 0 0 2
Total 12 2 4 6
14 Buster Nupen 1930–31† Report England South Africa 1 1 0 0
15 Jock Cameron 1930–31 Report England South Africa 2 0 0 2
1931–32 Report Australia Australia 5 0 5 0
1931–32 Report New Zealand New Zealand 2 2 0 0
Total 9 2 5 2
16 Herbie Wade 1935 Report England England 5 1 0 4
1935–36 Report Australia South Africa 5 0 4 1
Total 10 1 4 5
17 Alan Melville 1938–39 Report England South Africa 5 0 1 4
1947 Report England England 5 0 3 2
Total 10 0 4 6
18 Dudley Nourse 1948–49 Report England South Africa 5 0 2 3
1949–50 Report Australia South Africa 5 0 4 1
1951 Report England England 5 1 3 1
Total 15 1 9 5
19 Jack Cheetham 1952–53 Report Australia Australia 5 2 2 1
1952–53 Report New Zealand New Zealand 2 1 0 1
1953–54 Report New Zealand South Africa 5 4 0 1
1955 Report England England 3 0 3 0
Total 15 7 5 3
20 Jackie McGlew 1955† Report England England 2 2 0 0
1956–57† Report England South Africa 1 0 1 0
1957–58† Report Australia South Africa 1 0 0 1
1960 Report England England 5 0 3 2
1961–62 Report New Zealand South Africa 5 2 2 1
Total 14 4 6 4
21 Clive van Ryneveld 1956–57 Report England South Africa 4 2 1 1
1957–58 Report Australia South Africa 4 0 3 1
Total 8 2 4 2
22 Trevor Goddard 1963–64 Report Australia Australia 5 1 1 3
1963–64 Report New Zealand New Zealand 3 0 0 3
1964–65 Report England South Africa 5 0 1 4
Total 13 1 2 10
23 Peter van der Merwe
 1965 Report England England 3 1 0 2
1966–67 Report Australia South Africa 5 3 1 1
Total 8 4 1 3
24 Ali Bacher 1969–70 Report Australia South Africa 4 4 0 0
- Mike Procter 1981–82 Report England South Africa 3 1 0 2
- Peter Kirsten 1982–83 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
 1983–84† Report 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
- Jimmy Cook 1989–90 Report England South Africa 1 1 0 0
25 Kepler Wessels 1991–92 Report West Indies West Indies 1 0 1 0
1992–93 Report India South Africa 4 1 0 3
1993–94 Report Sri Lanka Sri Lanka 3 1 0 2
1993–94 Report Australia Australia 2 1 0 1
1993–94 Report Australia South Africa 3 1 1 1
1994 Report England England 3 1 1 1
Total 16 5 3 8
26 Hansie Cronje 1993–94† Report Australia Australia 1 0 1 0
1994–95 Report New Zealand South Africa 3 2 1 0
1994–95 Report Pakistan South Africa 1 1 0 0
1994–95 Report New Zealand New Zealand 1 1 0 0
1995–96 Report Zimbabwe Zimbabwe 1 1 0 0
1995–96 Report England South Africa 5 1 0 4
1996–97 Report India India 3 1 2 0
1996–97 Report India South Africa 3 2 0 1
1996–97 Report Australia South Africa 3 1 2 0
1997–98 Report Pakistan Pakistan 3 1 0 2
1997–98 Report Australia Australia 3 0 1 2
1997–98 Report Pakistan South Africa 2 1 1 0
1997–98 Report Sri Lanka South Africa 2 2 0 0
1998 Report England England 5 1 2 2
1998–99 Report West Indies South Africa 5 5 0 0
1998–99 Report New Zealand New Zealand 3 1 0 2
1999–2000 Report Zimbabwe South Africa 1 1 0 0
1999–2000 Report Zimbabwe Zimbabwe 1 1 0 0
1999–2000 Report England South Africa 5 2 1 2
1999–2000 Report India India 2 2 0 0
Total 53 27 11 15
27 Gary Kirsten 1997–98† Report Pakistan South Africa 1 0 0 1
28 Shaun Pollock 2000–01 Report Sri Lanka Sri Lanka 3 1 1 1
2000–01 Report New Zealand South Africa 3 2 0 1
2000–01 Report Sri Lanka South Africa 3 2 0 1
2000–01 Report West Indies West Indies 5 2 1 2
2001–02 Report Zimbabwe Zimbabwe 2 1 0 1
2001–02 Report India South Africa 2 1 0 1
2001–02 Report Australia Australia 3 0 3 0
2002–03 Report Bangladesh South Africa 1 1 0 0
2002–03 Report Sri Lanka South Africa 2 2 0 0
2002–03 Report Pakistan South Africa 2 2 0 0
Total 26 14 5 7
29 Mark Boucher 2001–02 Report Australia South Africa 3 1 2 0
2002–03† Report Bangladesh South Africa 1 1 0 0
Total 4 2 2 0
30 Graeme Smith 2003 Report Bangladesh Bangladesh 2 2 0 0
2003 Report England England 5 2 2 1
2003–04 Report Pakistan Pakistan 2 0 1 1
2003–04 Report West Indies South Africa 4 3 0 1
2003–04 Report New Zealand New Zealand 3 1 1 1
2004 Report Sri Lanka Sri Lanka 2 0 1 1
2004–05 Report India India 2 0 1 1
2004–05 Report England South Africa 5 1 2 2
2004–05 Report Zimbabwe South Africa 2 2 0 0
2005 Report West Indies West Indies 4 2 0 2
2005–06 Report Australia Australia 3 0 2 1
2005–06 Report Australia South Africa 2 0 2 0
2005–06 Report New Zealand South Africa 3 2 0 1
2006–07 Report India South Africa 3 2 1 0
2006–07 Report Pakistan South Africa 3 2 1 0
2007–08 Report Pakistan Pakistan 2 1 0 1
2007–08 Report New Zealand South Africa 2 2 0 0
2007–08 Report West Indies South Africa 3 2 1 0
2007–08 Report Bangladesh Bangladesh 2 2 0 0
2007–08 Report India India 3 1 1 1
2008 Report England England 4 2 1 1
2008–09 Report Bangladesh South Africa 2 2 0 0
2008–09 Report Australia Australia 3 2 1 0
2008–09 Report Australia South Africa 2 0 2 0
2009–10 Report England South Africa 4 1 1 2
2009–10 Report India India 2 1 1 0
2010 Report West Indies West Indies 3 2 0 1
2010–11 Report Pakistan United Arab Emirates 2 0 0 2
2010–11 Report India South Africa 3 1 1 1
2011–12 Report Australia South Africa 2 1 1 0
2011–12 Report Sri Lanka South Africa 3 2 1 0
2011–12 Report New Zealand New Zealand 3 1 0 2
2012 Report England England 3 2 0 1
2012–13 Report Australia Australia 3 1 0 2
2012–13 Report New Zealand South Africa 2 2 0 0
2012–13 Report Pakistan South Africa 3 3 0 0
2013–14 Report Pakistan United Arab Emirates 2 1 1 0
2013–14 Report India South Africa 2 1 0 1
2013–14 Report Australia South Africa 3 1 2 0
Total 108 53 28 27
31 Jacques Kallis 2005–06† Report Australia South Africa 1 0 1 0
2008–09† Report Australia South Africa 1 1 0 0
Total 2 1 1 0
32 Ashwell Prince 2006 Report Sri Lanka Sri Lanka 2 0 2 0
33 Hashim Amla 2014 Report Sri Lanka Sri Lanka 2 1 0 1
2014 Report Zimbabwe Zimbabwe 1 1 0 0
2014–15 Report West Indies South Africa 3 2 0 1
2015 Report Bangladesh Bangladesh 2 0 0 2
2015–16 Report India India 4 0 3 1
2015–16 Report England South Africa 2 0 1 1
Total 14 4 4 6
34 AB de Villiers 2015–16 Report England South Africa 2 1 1 0
2017–18† Report Zimbabwe South Africa 1 1 0 0
Total 3 2 1 0
35 Faf du Plessis
 2016† Report New Zealand South Africa 2 1 0 1
2016–17† Report Australia Australia 3 2 1 0
2016–17 Report Sri Lanka South Africa 3 3 0 0
2016–17 Report New Zealand New Zealand 3 1 0 2
2017 Report England England 3 1 2 0
2017–18 Report Bangladesh South Africa 2 2 0 0
2017–18 Report India South Africa 3 2 1 0
2017–18 Report Australia South Africa 4 3 1 0
2018 Report Sri Lanka Sri Lanka 2 0 2 0
2018–19 Report Pakistan South Africa 2 2 0 0
2018–19 Report Sri Lanka South Africa 2 0 2 0
2019–20 Report India India 3 0 3 0
2019–20 Report England South Africa 4 1 3 0
Total 36 18 15 3
36 Dean Elgar
2017† Report England England 1 0 1 0
2018–19† Report Pakistan South Africa 1 1 0 0
2021 Report West Indies West Indies 2 2 0 0
2021–22 Report India South Africa 3 2 1 0
2021–22 Report New Zealand New Zealand 2 1 1 0
2021–22 Report Bangladesh South Africa 2 2 0 0
2022 Report England England 3 1 2 0
2022–23 Report Australia Australia 2 0 2 0
Total 13 9 7 0
37 Quinton de Kock
2020–21 Report Sri Lanka South Africa 2 2 0 0
2020–21 Report Pakistan Pakistan 2 0 2 0
Total 4 2 2 0
38 Temba Bavuma 2023 Report West Indies South Africa 2 2 0 0
Grand total 459 177 158 124

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]
Number Name Period of captaincy Played Won Lost Tied No result % won
1 Clive Rice 1991 3 1 2 0 0 33.33
2 Kepler Wessels 1992–1994 52 20 30 0 2 40.00
3 Hansie Cronje 1994–2000 138 99 35 1 3 73.70
4 Shaun Pollock 2000–2005 92 59 29 3 1 66.48
5 Graeme Smith 2003–2011 149 92 51 1 5 64.23
6 Mark Boucher 2003 1 1 0 0 0 100.00
7 Nicky Boje 2005 1 1 0 0 0 100.00
8 Jacques Kallis 2006–2010 13 6 6 0 1 50.00
9 Johan Botha 2008–2010 10 8 2 0 0 80.00
10 Hashim Amla 2011–2015 9 4 5 0 0 44.44
11 AB de Villiers 2012–2017 103 59 39 1 4 60.10
12 Faf du Plessis 2013–2019 39 28 10 0 1 73.68
13 Aiden Markram 2018-2023 12 6 6 0 0 50.00
14 Quinton de Kock 2018–2020 8 4 3 0 1 57.14
15 JP Duminy 2018 2 2 0 0 0 100.00
16 Temba Bavuma 2021–present 33 17 15 0 1 50.00
17 Keshav Maharaj 2021-2022 7 2 3 0 2 40.00
18 David Miller 2022 1 0 1 0 0 0.00
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]
Number Name Period of captaincy Played Won Lost Tied No result % won
1 Graeme Smith 2005–2010 27 18 9 0 0 66.66
2 Shaun Pollock 2007 1 0 1 0 0 0.00
3 Johan Botha 2008–2012 11 8 3 0 0 72.72
4 Hashim Amla 2011 2 1 1 0 0 50.00
5 AB de Villiers 2012–2017 18 8 9 0 1 47.05
6 Faf du Plessis 2012–2019 37 23 13 1 0 63.51
7 JP Duminy 2014–2019 11 6 5 0 0 54.54
8 Justin Ontong 2015 1 1 0 0 0 100.00
9 Farhaan Behardien 2017 3 1 2 0 0 33.33
10 David Miller 2019 2 1 1 0 0 50.00
11 Quinton de Kock 2019-2021 11 3 8 0 0 27.27
12 Heinrich Klaasen 2021 7 2 5 0 0 28.57
13 Temba Bavuma 2021–2023 9 6 3 0 0 66.66
14 Keshav Maharaj 2021 3 3 0 0 0 100.00
15 Aiden Markram 2023–present 8 2 6 0 0 25.00
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]
Number Name Season Opposition Location Played Won Lost Drawn % won
1 Sheelagh Nefdt 1960–1961 England South Africa 4 0 1 3 0.00
2 Maureen Payne 1972 New Zealand South Africa 3 0 1 2 0.00
3 Cindy Eksteen 2002 India South Africa 1 0 1 0 0.00
4 Alison Hodgkinson 2003 England England 2 0 1 1 0.00
5 Cri-Zelda Brits 2007 Netherlands Netherlands 1 1 0 0 100.00
6 Mignon du Preez 2014 India India 1 0 1 0 0.00
7 Suné Luus 2022 England England 1 0 0 1 0.00
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]
Number Name Year Played Won Lost Tied No result % won
1 Kim Price 1997–2000 26 13 12 0 1 52.00
2 Linda Olivier 1999 3 0 3 0 0 0.00
3 Cindy Eksteen 1999–2002 6 2 3 0 1 40.00
4 Alison Hodgkinson 2003–2005 19 4 14 0 1 22.22
5 Cri-zelda Brits 2007–2011 23 16 6 0 1 72.72
6 Sunette Loubser 2009 7 3 3 1 0 50.00
7 Alicia Smith 2009 1 0 1 0 0 0.00
8 Mignon du Preez 2011–2016 46 24 19 0 3 55.81
9 Dinesha Devnarain 2016 5 3 2 0 0 66.6
10 Dane van Niekerk 2016–2021 50 29 18 2 1 61.22
11 Lizelle Lee 2016 1 0 1 0 0 0.00
12 Sune Luus 2017–present 34 19 11 2 2 62.50
13 Chloe Tryon 2017–2018 4 3 1 0 0 75.00
14 Laura Wolvaardt 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]
Number Name Year Played Won Lost Tied No result % won
1 Cri-zelda Brits 2007–2010 12 3 9 0 0 25.00
2 Sunette Loubser 2009 5 0 5 0 0 0.00
3 Alicia Smith 2009 1 0 1 0 0 0.00
4 Mignon du Preez 2011–2016 50 24 25 0 1 48.97
5 Dane van Niekerk 2014–2021 30 15 13 0 2 50.00
6 Dinesha Devnarain 2016 2 1 1 0 0 50.00
7 Chloe Tryon 2018–2022 6 3 3 0 0 50.00
8 Sune Luus 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]
Number Name Year Opposition Location Played Won Lost Drawn
1 Neil McKenzie 1995 England England 3 0 2 1
2 Douglas Gain 1996 India India 3 1 1 1
3 Philip Hearle 1997 Pakistan South Africa 3 0 2 1
4 Matthew Street 1997 England South Africa 2 0 0 2
5 Thami Tsolekile 1999 Pakistan Pakistan 3 0 1 2
6 Rivash Gobind 2001 New Zealand New Zealand 3 0 2 1
7 Imraan Khan 2003 England England 3 2 0 1
8 Wayne Parnell 2007/08 Bangladesh South Africa 1 0 0 1
2008 India South Africa 1 0 0 1
Total 2 0 0 2
9 Jonathan Vandiar 2008 India South Africa 1 0 1 0
10 Diego Rosier 2013 England South Africa 2 1 1 0
11 Sibonelo Makhanya 2014 England England 2 0 0 2
12 Wiaan Mulder 2016 Sri Lanka Sri Lanka 3 0 0 3
13 Wandile Makwetu 2018 England England 2 0 2 0
14 Matt Montgomery 2019 India India 2 0 2 0
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]
Number Name Year Played Won Lost No result
1 Neil McKenzie 1995 2 0 2 0
2 Douglas Gain 1996 3 0 3 0
3 Wade Wingfield 1997 1 1 0 0
4 Philip Hearle 1997 2 1 1 0
5 Matthew Street 1998 8 7 1 0
6 Thami Tsolekile 1999–2000 9 5 3 1
7 Johan Botha 2001 2 0 1 1
8 Rivash Gobind 2001 1 1 0 0
9 Hashim Amla 2002 8 5 3 0
10 Imraan Khan 2003 2 1 0 1
11 Divan van Wyk 2004 6 3 3 0
12 Dean Elgar 2005–2006 10 3 7 0
13 Jonathan Vandiar 2008–2009 6 3 3 0
14 Wayne Parnell 2008 8 4 4 0
15 Josh Richards 2009–2010 9 6 3 0
16 Keaton Jennings 2010–2011 16 13 2 1
17 Shaylen Pillay 2011 1 1 0 0
18 Quinton de Kock 2012 9 5 4 0
20 Prenelan Subrayen 2012 1 1 0 0
21 Chad Bowes 2012 6 5 1 0
22 Diego Rosier 2013 4 4 0 0
23 Yaseen Valli 2013 5 3 2 0
24 Aiden Markram 2013–2014 8 8 0 0
25 Sibonelo Makhanya 2014–2015 9 0 9 0
26 Marques Ackerman 2014 1 0 1 0
27 Tony de Zorzi 2015–2016 13 6 7 0
28 Kyle Verreynne 2015 1 0 1 0
29 Willem Ludick 2015 1 0 1 0
30 Wiaan Mulder 2016-2017 9 6 3 0
31 Mitchell Van Buuren 2017 2 2 2 0
32 Raynard van Tonder 2017-2018 14 7 7 0
33 Wandile Makwetu 2018 2 2 0 0
34 Matt Montgomery 2019 2 2 0 0
35 Bryce Parsons 2019-2020 17 4 13 0
36 Khanya Cotani 2019 3 0 3 0
37 George Van Heerden 2021-2022 10 5 5 0
38 David Teeger 2023 3 1 2 0
39 Juan James 2023 2 1 1 0
Grand total 216 116 97 4


See also

References

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