The best Aussie captain of the modern era?

[Lightning McQueen]

Simple, who has been the best skipper in your eyes, and why?

For mine, it's Steve Waugh, similar cricket adventures to Punter and Pup, started early, failed and came back a far more complete player.

What stands out for me though is Waugh's grit and the never say die attitude which has been passed on to the captains that have taken over since. his value on his own wicket and the way he'd take a game by the horns and welcomed any challenge with vigour, he's someone that I'd like to see next to me in the trenches, one of the toughest sportsmen o grace any sort of field.

It was a sad day in the McQueen garage 11 years ago when he was on his way to a ton in his last ever appearance in the baggy green only to fall 20 runs short of a fairytale finish to a stellar career, and to think that I couldn't stand the guy for the first part of his career, I didn't rate him too highly and he was keeping Hookesy and Simon O'Donnell out of the side, two of my favourite players at the time.

[Lightning McQueen]

I'd dare say that most of the generation older than me will pick Ian Chappell, he seems to be the first choice throughout the Australian cricket fraternity.

[FlyingHigh]

Chappell
Taylor
G Chappell and Clarke
AB
Ponting and Waugh

Not saying Ponting and Waugh were bad captains, but the rest are comfortably ahead of them.

Don't know enough Yallop, Hughes probably had some unfair other things going on.

[Rik E Boy]

Modern era and you put the Chappells and Hughes in?

regards,

REB

[Lightning McQueen]

I didn't rate Tubby, take out his 334* and it was slim pickings for a prolonged period of time, I thought he stayed on too long.

Furthermore, it was an era where the test and ODI team were basically the same thing, I thought he batted far too slow in the shorter format and it frustrated me as an avid cricket lover in my late teens. I felt that he could've excluded himself from the ODI side.

[Dogwatcher]

Yallop and Hughes had very similar issues as captains.
They faced strong personalities in their team and their own personalities grated on their team-mates - much, as it seems Clarke has experienced.

Yallop was captain of a second-string Aussie XI during the WSC schism, while we all know what Hughes faced.
Yallop was an introvert (and not all that clever tactically), while Hughes had a massive ego and early on in his career didn't show enough deference to his elders. He was also perceived as the Golden Boy of Australian cricket (like Clarke).

Very definitely, this pair can remain at the bottom of the table in this conversation.

[Lightning McQueen]

Modern era and you put the Chappells and Hughes in?

regards,

REB

Yeah, I didn't know how to word "our life time" without going to far back. Pretty much from the introduction of limited overs cricket I call modern era.

[Dogwatcher]

Simpson was skipper for about 10 tests during the period you're discussing too, LM.
Came out of retirement at 42 and faced the Poms and Windies.

[Lightning McQueen]

Simpson was skipper for about 10 tests during the period you're discussing too, LM.
Came out of retirement at 42 and faced the Poms and Windies.

Come on man, I'm trying to not use my brain too much, I've got work to catch up on if I want to do that!!!

[Lightning McQueen]

Yallop and Hughes had very similar issues as captains.
They faced strong personalities in their team and their own personalities grated on their team-mates - much, as it seems Clarke has experienced.

Yallop was captain of a second-string Aussie XI during the WSC schism, while we all know what Hughes faced.
Yallop was an introvert (and not all that clever tactically), while Hughes had a massive ego and early on in his career didn't show enough deference to his elders. He was also perceived as the Golden Boy of Australian cricket (like Clarke).

Very definitely, this pair can remain at the bottom of the table in this conversation.

I wasn't even going to include Kim Hughes as I knew he wouldn't get a vote, plus he cried at a time when men weren't allowed to cry in public.

[Q.]

Taylor gets my vote. A great tactician and a respected leader.

[valleys07]

Steve Waugh for me.

[RB]

As far as tactics, field placements etc. go, I. Chappell.

[JK]

Steve Waugh for me, for much the same reasons as LM mentioned. Tough call though, because they all had their strengths and often in different area's. I think AB probably re-ignited our culture (which was a strong point through successful periods to follow) by showing a bunch of kids how to not back down, and he lead by example brilliantly.

[Lightning McQueen]

Steve Waugh for me, for much the same reasons as LM mentioned. Tough call though, because they all had their strengths and often in different area's. I think AB probably re-ignited our culture (which was a strong point through successful periods to follow) by showing a bunch of kids how to not back down, and he lead by example brilliantly.

AB had no ruth. He opitimized the Aussie spirit.

[Dogwatcher]

Yallop and Hughes had very similar issues as captains.
They faced strong personalities in their team and their own personalities grated on their team-mates - much, as it seems Clarke has experienced.

Yallop was captain of a second-string Aussie XI during the WSC schism, while we all know what Hughes faced.
Yallop was an introvert (and not all that clever tactically), while Hughes had a massive ego and early on in his career didn't show enough deference to his elders. He was also perceived as the Golden Boy of Australian cricket (like Clarke).

Very definitely, this pair can remain at the bottom of the table in this conversation.

I wasn't even going to include Kim Hughes as I knew he wouldn't get a vote, plus he cried at a time when men weren't allowed to cry in public.

Funny, isn't it...
Hughes cried, he was a joke.
Bob Hawke cried, people loved him for it.
That tells you a lot about Bob Hawke's popularity.

[FlyingHigh]

I didn't rate Tubby, take out his 334* and it was slim pickings for a prolonged period of time, I thought he stayed on too long.

Furthermore, it was an era where the test and ODI team were basically the same thing, I thought he batted far too slow in the shorter format and it frustrated me as an avid cricket lover in my late teens. I felt that he could've excluded himself from the ODI side.

I wasn't really considering ODI's, just test captaincy.
Those things you mentioned in your opening post certainly make Waugh a great cricketer, but as a captain was a long way off Taylor IMO.

[JK]

Yallop and Hughes had very similar issues as captains.
They faced strong personalities in their team and their own personalities grated on their team-mates - much, as it seems Clarke has experienced.

Yallop was captain of a second-string Aussie XI during the WSC schism, while we all know what Hughes faced.
Yallop was an introvert (and not all that clever tactically), while Hughes had a massive ego and early on in his career didn't show enough deference to his elders. He was also perceived as the Golden Boy of Australian cricket (like Clarke).

Very definitely, this pair can remain at the bottom of the table in this conversation.

I wasn't even going to include Kim Hughes as I knew he wouldn't get a vote, plus he cried at a time when men weren't allowed to cry in public.

Funny, isn't it...
Hughes cried, he was a joke.
Bob Hawke cried, people loved him for it.
That tells you a lot about Bob Hawke's popularity.

He played the bouncer about as well as Hughes too

[Dogwatcher]

Yallop and Hughes had very similar issues as captains.
They faced strong personalities in their team and their own personalities grated on their team-mates - much, as it seems Clarke has experienced.

Yallop was captain of a second-string Aussie XI during the WSC schism, while we all know what Hughes faced.
Yallop was an introvert (and not all that clever tactically), while Hughes had a massive ego and early on in his career didn't show enough deference to his elders. He was also perceived as the Golden Boy of Australian cricket (like Clarke).

Very definitely, this pair can remain at the bottom of the table in this conversation.

I wasn't even going to include Kim Hughes as I knew he wouldn't get a vote, plus he cried at a time when men weren't allowed to cry in public.

Funny, isn't it...
Hughes cried, he was a joke.
Bob Hawke cried, people loved him for it.
That tells you a lot about Bob Hawke's popularity.

He played the bouncer about as well as Hughes too

I reckon Rick Darling or Hookesy might have Hughes covered.

[Lightning McQueen]

I didn't rate Tubby, take out his 334* and it was slim pickings for a prolonged period of time, I thought he stayed on too long.

Furthermore, it was an era where the test and ODI team were basically the same thing, I thought he batted far too slow in the shorter format and it frustrated me as an avid cricket lover in my late teens. I felt that he could've excluded himself from the ODI side.

I wasn't really considering ODI's, just test captaincy.
Those things you mentioned in your opening post certainly make Waugh a great cricketer, but as a captain was a long way off Taylor IMO.

I was generalising, I just didn't think highly of Tubby, I portrayed him as selfish, he was a very unique captain though, there's an element of likeness between those before and after him.

I think him staying on too long was my main issue with him.