3 cricketers who returned to international captaincy after longest breaks

In the rich history of cricket, there have been several great captains who’ve led their teams to memorable victories under their leadership. Most skippers have a long uninterrupted tenure at the helm, during which they're able to identify players and create a strong core unit of the side to enhance their performances.

However, international cricket has also seen a few captains who’ve led the team for a brief period and returned to lead again after a long gap. Here are three such players who had the longest gap between two captaincy stints:

1. Gubby Allen (4002 days)

The former England captain took over the leadership duties in 1936 and guided his team to a 2-0 victory over India in his first series. He couldn't continue the winning momentum and suffered a 2-3 defeat against Australia in the Ashes. However, after leading the team for eight Test matches, he again got his opportunity in 1948 on the tour of the West Indies after a long gap of 4002 days. Allen captained England in 11 Test matches and won four, lost five, while two ended in a draw.

2. Bob Simpson (3625 days)

The former Australia skipper assumed leadership for the first time in 1964 against South Africa and led his team to a 1-1 draw. Simpson continued in his position for three years and later returned after a long gap of 3625 days to captain the team again in 1977 against India. He guided the team to a 3-2 series victory on his return but lost the subsequent Test series against West Indies by 1-3. He captained Australia in 39 Test matches, winning 12 and losing as many games, while 15 ended in a draw.

3. Shoaib Malik (3282 days)

The former Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik assumed captaincy of all three formats in 2007. He continued in his role till 2010 before being sacked by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). He later led the team after a long gap of 3281 days in 2019 against Australia and South Africa.