This is a list of cricketers who have captained the English cricket team for at least one Test match. It has been updated to the fifth Test against the South Africa in 2004/5. The next Test match to be added will be the first Test against Bangladesh, which starts on 26 May 2005. 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.

WG Grace, who captained England 13 times between 1888 and 1898.

• ¹ Bowden, aged 23 years 144 days became England's youngest captain on 25 March 1889, three years before dying in Umtali Hospital- a glorified mud hut where his body had to be protected from marauding lions prior to being interred in a coffin made from whiskey cases.
• ² The third test at Old Trafford, Manchester, England was abandoned without a ball being bowled and is excluded from these statistics. This is in line with the approach adopted by Wisden.
• ³ Andrew Stoddart became the first test captain to declare an innings closed (at 234 for 8), though no further play was possible because of rain.
• ⁴ WG Grace, playing his last Test was 50 years and 320 days old when the match ended. Only Wilfred Rhodes, who was making his debut in this test, played Test cricket at a greater age.
• ⁵ Leveson Gower's surname was pronounced Loosen Gore.
• ⁶ Arthur Gilligan and Harold Gilligan were brothers: the first brothers to captain England.
• ⁷Harold Gilligan captained England in his debut test.
• ⁸England had two overlapping test series in the winter of 1929/30. Their first test against New Zealand started on 10 January 1930. Their first test against the West Indies started on 11 January 1930, making the first time England had simultaneously played two test matches at once.
• ⁹Harold Gilligan's Cricinfo profile [1] is wrong. He captained England in all four tests that he played in - the whole England v New Zealand series of 1929/30
• ¹⁰The third test at Old Trafford, Manchester, England was abandoned without a ball being bowled and is excluded from these statistics. This is in line with the approach adopted by Wisden.
• ¹¹George Mann was the son of Frank Mann, making them the first father and son to both captain England.
• ¹²In 1970 South Africa were due to tour England. However, the Basil D'Oliveira affair, and South Africa's subsequent withdrawal from international cricket left England without a touring side that summer. A Rest of the World XI was hastily arranged to play a 5 match series, which originally was regarded as a test series. Later the matches were stripped of test status. The Rest of the World XI won the series 4-1, with Ray Illingworth captaining England in each match.
• ¹³The third test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia in 1970/1 was abandoned without a ball being bowled and is excluded from these statistics. This is in line with the approach adopted by Wisden and most statisticians, although the match has been recognised as an official test match by the Australian Board of Control . In its place, once the rain cleared, the two teams played a limited overs game, which was retrospectively recognised as the first one-day international.
• ¹⁴The second test at Georgetown, Guyana in 1980/1 was abandoned because of political pressure and is not included in the totals. This is in line with the approach adopted by Wisden.
• ¹⁵ Chris Cowdrey is the son of Colin Cowdrey, making them the second father and son to both captain England after George and Frank Mann.
• ¹⁶The second test at Georgetown, Guyana in 1989/90 was abandoned because of rain and is not included in the totals. This is in line with the approach adopted by Wisden.

References

• Wisden Cricketers' Almanack (2004) ISBN 0-947766-83-9
• Cricinfo