5 popular bowlers who captained their team in ICC T20 World Cup
ICC T20 World Cup is the biggest T20 international tournament happening in the world. It is the grandest stage for any cricketer to contribute to his country in the T20I format. ICC introduced this competition in the year 2007, and since then, fans have witnessed six editions of the mega event. The seventh edition of the T20 World Cup is currently underway in the Middle East.
Most fans would have noticed the captains of the 16 teams participating in the T20 World Cup 2021 are either batters or all-rounders. Not a single bowler is leading their country in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. Interestingly, very few bowlers have got an opportunity to lead their nation at the ICC T20 World Cup. In this listicle today, we will look at the five popular bowlers who have played the captain's role at the mega event.
1. Daniel Vettori captained New Zealand in 13 ICC T20 World Cup matches
Former New Zealand spinner Daniel Vettori owns the record for leading his team the highest number of times in ICC T20 World Cup matches. Vettori led New Zealand in 13 matches, where his team registered six wins and seven losses.
Vettori also owns the record for the most wickets by a captain in the mega event's history. The left-arm spin bowler scalped 18 wickets in those 13 games, with his best figures of 4/20 coming in the 2007 T20 WC Super 8 stage match against the Indian cricket team.
2. Stuart Broad
England's fast bowler Stuart Broad led his country's cricket team in the 2012 and 2014 editions of the T20 WC before Eoin Morgan took over. Broad played nine matches as the England cricket team skipper in the mega event.
Broad bowled two maiden overs in those nine games and returned with a total of 11 wickets. The right-arm pacer no longer plays T20I cricket for his country but is active in the Test format.
3. Prosper Utseya captained Zimbabwe in 4 ICC T20 World Cup matches
36-year-old off-spin bowler Prosper Utseya captained Zimbabwe in four matches of the T20 WC played between 2007 and 2010. Utseya picked up four wickets in his four appearances as Zimbabwean skipper at the T20 WC.
Zimbabwe managed to win one match under the captain of Prosper Utseya. That game was against the heavyweights Australia, but the Zimbabwean side lost the other three games they played under Utseya.
4. Mashrafe Mortaza
Former Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza led his nation in the 2016 ICC T20 World Cup. Under Mortaza's captaincy, Bangladesh qualified for the Super 10 matches.
However, Bangladesh did not qualify for the semifinals after that. They played a total of seven games under Mortaza's leadership, registering two wins and four losses. One match ended in a no result.
5. Lasith Malinga
Former Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga is the only bowler to win the ICC T20 WC as captain. Malinga was Sri Lanka's captain in the 2014 T20 WC final vs. India.
Malinga played only three games as Sri Lankan skipper. The right-arm pace bowler took two wickets in those three matches and maintained an economy rate of less than six runs per over.