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Michael Clarke — first Australian captain to suffer whitewash in two different Test series
Australia lost 4-0 to India in 2013 and 2-0 to Pakistan in UAE, both under Michael Clarke.
Written by Bharath Seervi
Published: Nov 05, 2014, 07:49 AM (IST)
Edited: Nov 05, 2014, 10:11 AM (IST)


Australia lost the Test series 2-0 to Pakistan at UAE. This was their second consecutive whitewash in Asia. Bharath Seervi lists some stats regarding the whitewashes suffered by Australia and those achieved by Pakistan.
Australia is not having the greatest time in Asia. Though they whitewashed England in at home, they have been whitewashed in two consecutive Test series in Asia. They lost 4-0 to India in 2013 and now 2-0 to Pakistan in UAE, both under the captaincy of Michael Clarke. Australia have now suffered eight whitewashes in Test series of 2 or more matches.
Whitewashes suffered by Australia in Test cricket (series of 2 or more matches)
Clarke is the only Australian captain to suffer whitewashed in two different test series among the eight whitewashes suffered. The other Australian captains to suffer the ignominy of a whitewash are: Tup Scott, Percy McDonnell, Billy Murdoch, Bill Lawry, Kim Hughes and Ricky Ponting. The table below shows the whitewashes suffered by Australia in Test cricket.
Margin | Against | Country | Captain | Year |
3-0 | England | England | Tup Scott | 1886 |
2-0 | England | Australia | Percy McDonnell | 1887 |
2-0 | England | England | Billy Murdoch | 1890 |
4-0 | South Africa | South Africa | Bill Lawry | 1970 |
3-0 | Pakistan | Pakistan | Kim Hughes | 1982 |
2-0 | India | India | Ricky Ponting | 2010 |
4-0 | India | India | Michael Clarke | 2013 |
2-0 | Pakistan | UAE | Michael Clarke | 2014 |
Australia suffered three whitewashes in the 19th century (1886, 1887 and 1890) within five years, and then only two more in about the next 120 years (from 1891 to 2009, in 1970 and 1982), and now three whitewashes in this decade (in 2010, 2013 and 2014). Seeing their history, it seems this is one of their worst periods. And yet, they whitewashed England 5-0 and defeated South Africa 2-1 in South Africa.
Whitewashes by Pakistan in Test cricket (series of 2 or more matches)
With this series win, Pakistan have now whitewashed the opposition on 11 occasions. Their first whitewash was also against Australia in the 1982. The team under Imran Khan had defeated the Aussies 3-0. Incidentally, Pakistan have whitewashed all teams except India in Test cricket. This whitewash was the third one under Misbah-ul-Haq’s captaincy. Under him Pakistan whitewashed Bangladesh (2-0) in Bangladesh in 2011 and England (3-0) in UAE in 2012 as well. The only other Pakistan captain to whitewash the opposition in more than one Test series is Waqar Younis, who led Pakistan to whitewashes against Bangladesh, West Indies and Zimbabwe, all 2-0, in 2002. Below the table shows the whitewashes by Pakistan:
Margin | Against | Country | Captain | Year |
3-0 | Australia | Pakistan | Imran Khan | 1982 |
3-0 | New Zealand | Pakistan | Javed Miandad | 1990 |
2-0 | Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka | Saleem Malik | 1994 |
3-0 | West Indies | Pakistan | Wasim Akram | 1997 |
2-0 | Bangladesh | Bangladesh | Waqar Younis | 2002 |
2-0 | West Indies | UAE | Waqar Younis | 2002 |
2-0 | Zimbabwe | Zimbabwe | Waqar Younis | 2002 |
3-0 | Bangladesh | Pakistan | Rashid Latif | 2003 |
2-0 | Bangladesh | Bangladesh | Misbah-ul-Haq | 2011 |
3-0 | England | UAE | Misbah-ul-Haq | 2012 |
2-0 | Australia | UAE | Misbah-ul-Haq | 2014 |
Number of whitewashes by each team in Test cricket (series of 2 or more matches)
The series was 11th washout win for Pakistan. Australia have whitewashed their opposition a record 28 times. England are not too far behind though, they have did it 25 times. South Africa 16, Sri Lanka 15, India and New Zealand 10 each and West Indies 9 washout victories. Zimbabwe and Bangladesh have done it once. The table below has the first and last such victories for all the teams.
Team | Number of times | First | Last |
Australia | 28 | 5-0 vs England in Australia, 1921 | 5-0 vs England in Australia, 2014 |
Bangladesh | 1 | 2-0 vs West Indies in West Indies, 2009 | 2-0 vs West Indies in West Indies , 2009 |
England | 25 | 3-0 vs Australia in England, 1886 | 2-0 vs New Zealand in England, 2013 |
India | 10 | 3-0 vs England in India, 1993 | 2-0 vs West Indies in India, 2013 |
New Zealand | 10 | 2-0 vs Sri Lanka in New Zealand, 1983 | 2-0 vs Bangladesh in New Zealand, 2008 |
Pakistan | 11 | 3-0 vs Australia in Pakistan, 1982 | 2-0 vs Australia in UAE, 2014 |
South Africa | 16 | 2-0 vs New Zealand in New Zealand, 1932 | 3-0 vs Pakistan in South Africa, 2013 |
Sri Lanka | 15 | 2-0 vs Zimbabwe in Sri Lanka, 1996 | 2-0 vs Pakistan in Sri Lanka, 2014 |
West Indies | 9 | 5-0 vs India in West Indies, 1962 | 2-0 vs Bangladesh in West Indies, 2014 |
Zimbabwe | 1 | 2-0 vs Bangladesh in Zimbabwe, 2001 | 2-0 vs Bangladesh in Zimbabwe, 2001 |
Number of whitewashes in a test series of 3 or more matches
Considering 3 match test series’, Australia have whitewashed their opposition 21 times and England 13.
21 – Australia
13 – England
5 – Pakistan
3 – India, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies
Number of whitewashes suffered by each team in Test cricket (series of 2 or more matches)
The series loss was Australia’s eighth whitewash loss in Test cricket. Bangladesh have suffered 28 whitewashes in their history of Test cricket since 2001. Australia, England, Pakistan and South Africa have suffered 8 whitewashes, which is the least.
Team | Number of times | First | Last |
Australia | 8 | 3-0 vs England in England, 1886 | 2-0 vs Pakistan in UAE, 2014 |
Bangladesh | 28 | 2-0 vs Zimbabwe in Zimbabwe, 2001 | 2-0 vs West Indies in West Indies, 2014 |
England | 8 | 5-0 vs Australia in Australia, 1921 | 5-0 vs Australia in Australia, 2014 |
India | 10 | 5-0 vs England in England, 1959 | 4-0 vs Australia in Australia, 2012 |
New Zealand | 17 | 2-0 vs South Africa in New Zealand, 1932 | 2-0 vs England in England, 2013 |
Pakistan | 8 | 3-0 vs Australia in Australia, 1973 | 2-0 vs Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka, 2014 |
South Africa | 8 | 2-0 vs England in South Africa, 1889 | 2-0 vs Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka, 2006 |
Sri Lanka | 10 | 2-0 vs New Zealand in New Zealand, 1983 | 3-0 vs Australia in Australia, 2013 |
West Indies | 13 | 3-0 vs England in England, 1928 | 2-0 vs India in India, 2013 |
Zimbabwe | 16 | 2-0 vs Sri Lanka in Zimbabwe, 1996 | 2-0 vs West Indies in West Indies, 2013 |
Number of whitewashes suffered in a test series of 3 or more matches
England and India have suffered eight whitewashes in test series’ of 3 or more matches which is the highest among all teams.
8 – England, India
7 – West Indies
6 – New Zealand, Pakistan
5 – South Africa
4 – Australia, Sri Lanka
2 – Bangladesh
1 – Zimbabwe
Complete coverage of Pakistan vs Australia in UAE
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(Bharath Seervi is a cricket statistician who is obsessed with digging numbers, facts and records related to the game. An active member of Society of Cricket Statisticians of India, he blogs at www.cricketseervistats.blogspot.com. He can be followed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/SeerviBharath and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SeerviCricket)