2025 Power Rankings of International Coaches

With 2025 coming to an end in a couple of days, we can look back and analyse how coaches of international teams have performed. This year saw a wide range of performances from the revival of South African cricket, thanks to Shukri Conrad, to the failures of Aaquid Javed.

We take each coach’s performance under the microscope to dissect the good, bad, and ugly.

Here is a rating and review of the head coaches across the Top 10  international sides towards the end of 2025.

1. South Africa: Shukri Conrad

Rating: 9.8/10 Shukri Conrad has orchestrated the most significant turnaround in modern South African cricket history by winning their first ICC tournament. By prioritising a “red-ball first” culture and encouraging young talent, he has turned the Proteas into a global juggernaut.

• The Crown Jewel: Led South Africa to their first-ever ICC World Test Championship (WTC) title in June 2025.
• Tactical Masterstroke: Oversaw a historic series victory against India in late 2025, effectively ending India’s decade-long dominance at home.
• Verdict: His blunt, no-nonsense leadership style has forged a team that thrives under pressure. He is currently the gold standard of international coaching.

2. Australia: Andrew McDonald

Rating: 9.2/10 McDonald remains the most stable hand in the business. While others chase headlines, he focuses on workload management and tactical precision.

• Key Success: Currently leading 2-0 in the 2025-26 Ashes. His ability to integrate “white-ball specialists” like Mitchell Marsh into the Test side (when needed) has proven critics wrong.
• Management: Successfully navigated injuries to key players like Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, maintaining a winning culture regardless of the XI.
• Verdict: The ultimate “player’s coach” whose results speak louder than his press conferences.

3. Afghanistan: Jonathan Trott

Rating: 8.8/10 Trott has achieved what many thought impossible: making Afghanistan a consistent semi-final threat in every ICC and ACC tournament.

• Key Success: Followed up a historic 2024 T20 World Cup semi-final with a strong showing in the 2025 Champions Trophy.
• Development: Under Trott, Afghanistan’s pace battery has finally matched the quality of their world-class spinners.
• Verdict: He has instilled a “Big Nation” temperament in a team that used to rely solely on individual brilliance.

4. Sri Lanka: Sanath Jayasuriya

Rating: 8.2/10 Jayasuriya has brought the “1996 Spirit” back to the dressing room. His appointment has seen a massive spike in aggressive intent across all formats.

• Success: A dominant home season in 2025 and a deep run in the Asia Cup. He has transformed Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis into consistent match-winners. His team also beat India in an ODI series at home after 27 years.
• Verdict: He has restored pride in Sri Lankan cricket, making them nearly unbeatable in sub-continental conditions.

5. England: Brendon McCullum

Rating: 7.0/10 The “Bazball” honeymoon is officially over. While McCullum has won 14 of his last 30 Tests, the high-risk strategy has struggled in the 2025 Ashes.

• The Struggle: Down 2-0 in Australia, critics are calling the approach “reckless” rather than “fearless.”
• Verdict: McCullum remains a revolutionary, but he is currently facing his first major crisis as England coach.

6. India: Gautam Gambhir

Rating: 6.2/10 Gambhir’s tenure has been a tale of two extremes. While India remains a force in T20Is, the Test team has suffered “unprecedented depths.”

• The Lows: Suffered a 0-3 home whitewash against New Zealand and lost a home Test series to South Africa which was the first in 25 years.
• The High: Won the 2025 Champions Trophy, proving his tactical acumen in short-format knockouts.
• Verdict: His “hyper-aggressive” selection policy is under fire for lacking the stability required for Test cricket.

7. New Zealand: Rob Walter

Rating: 6.0/10 Taking over from Gary Stead in June 2025, Walter is still in the “evaluation” phase.

• Recent Form: Secured a 2-0 series win against Zimbabwe and dominated the West Indies in white-ball cricket.
• Verdict: A safe pair of hands, but the real test will be maintaining New Zealand’s high standard in the 2025-27 WTC cycle.

8. Bangladesh: Phil Simmons

Rating: 5.5/10 Simmons stepped into a firestorm following the suspension of Hathurusingha. In March 2025, he was awarded a permanent contract through 2027.

• Performance: A winless 2025 Champions Trophy was balanced by a gutsy Test series win in the West Indies.
• Verdict: A stabilizing force who is trying to fix a deeply fractured team culture.

9. West Indies: Daren Sammy

Rating: 4.5/10 The pressure is mounting on Sammy. Despite his legendary status, the West Indies Test team has been “winless in 2025,” losing 6 out of 7 matches.

• Criticism: Heavy reliance on T20-style players in the Test arena has backfired, leading to middle-order collapses.
• Verdict: Sammy’s passion is unquestioned, but his tactical flexibility in red-ball cricket is under heavy scrutiny by the CWI board.

10. Pakistan: Aaqib Javed (Interim)

Rating: 3.0/10 Pakistan’s coaching seat has become a “revolving door.” After Jason Gillespie’s public resignation in late 2024, Aaqib Javed has taken over as a selector-coach hybrid.

• The Chaos: A disastrous Champions Trophy at home and constant public spats between former coaches and the board.
• Verdict: It is almost impossible to rate a coach in this environment; the systemic instability has made the role a “poisoned chalice.”

Editor’s Recommendations:

• 10 Cricketers who lost the most ‘Aura’ in 2025
• India’s T20 Batting Problem: Why Gill and SKY Need to Be Questioned

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