Most matches played in Test cricket as captain

Graeme Smith (South Africa) became the first cricketer to make 100 Test match appearances as captain when he led out the Proteas for the 1st Test against Pakistan on home soil in Johannesburg on his 32nd birthday, 1 February 2013. The left-handed opening batsman took charge of South Africa for the first time against Bangladesh on 24 April 2003 to become his country’s youngest ever Test captain, at the age of 22 years 82 days. As of 4 February 2013, Smith had won 48 of his 100 matches as captain and scored 26 Test match hundreds. Smith’s 100 Test matches as captain includes one match as skipper of a World XI against Australia in October 2005. His 100th Test match as captain of South Africa was the 2nd Test against Pakistan starting on 14 February 2013. Smith’s Test match record ahead of the 1st Test against Pakistan was 8,624 runs in 107 matches (187 innings), at an average of 49.28 runs per innings. His highest score is 277. He celebrated his 100th match in charge with a comprehensive 211-run win against Pakistan, scoring 24 and 52 runs to take his Test match runs total to 8,700 in 108 matches (189 innings), at an average of 49.15 runs per innings. As of 24 February 2013, the final day of the 3rd Test between South Africa and Pakistan, Smith had captained South Africa a total of 102 times. Smith’s other achievements include guiding South Africa to the top of the ICC’s (International Cricket Council’s) Test Championship for the first time in their history in August 2009 (for three months), and returning them to the top in August 2012. As of 29 February 2013, South Africa remain the No.1 ranked team in world cricket.