NEW DELHI: Steve Smith’s latest retirement from One-Day International (ODI) cricket marks the finish of an period for one of Australia’s most expert and strategic leaders.
While Smith will proceed to be a key determine in Test and T20 cricket, his legacy in the 50-over format invitations dialogue — the place does he stand amongst Australia’s greatest ODI captains?
Statistically, Smith holds a decent place amongst Australia’s ODI captains.
With 40 matches at the helm, captain Smith boasts a strong 57.50% win charge, putting him seventh on the list of Australian skippers with the most matches.
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His management interval noticed Australia keep its aggressive edge, although he by no means led the group to a significant ICC event victory.
Considered one of the best gamers of the white-ball cricket, Smith racked up two ICC World Cup titles in 2015 and 2023 underneath the captaincy of Michael Clarke and Pat Cummins, respectively.
When contemplating particular person batting performances as a captain, Smith amassed 2,270 runs at a formidable common of 43.65.
This places him fifth amongst Australian skippers, trailing legends like Ricky Ponting, Allan Border, Michael Clarke, and Steve Waugh.
Highest run scores as Australia captains
His highest ODI rating of 164 and his means to anchor innings underneath strain spotlight his worth as each a batsman and a pacesetter.
Ricky Ponting, who led Australia in 229 ODIs, secured two World Cup titles and maintained a dominant 62.33% win charge, cementing his standing as the gold normal of Australian ODI management.
Steve Waugh (71.92% win charge) and Michael Clarke (51.06%) additionally performed pivotal roles in Australia’s World Cup successes.
Allan Border, although possessing a decrease win proportion (34.40%), was instrumental in remodeling Australia’s cricketing ethos, main them to their first-ever World Cup victory in 1987.
Smith’s management tenure was disrupted by off-area controversies, together with the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, which affected his legacy.
While he is probably not ranked amongst the absolute greats like Ponting or Waugh, his tactical acumen and regular management place him in the higher echelon of Australian ODI captains.