The Australian cricket team has been a glittering thread running through the course of the country's history, personifying the dreams and disappointments of a changing nation. The most singular individual inside that team is the captain, a human being full of ideals, frustrations, quarrels and personal triumphs, and also the steward of an office, which has become, symbolically, the second most important in the land.

From Australia's first Test cricket captain Dave Gregory, through to the current captain Ricky Panting, The Captains tells the colourful story of how Australian cricket has evolved since its earliest days, how the captain has influenced or stood apart from that evolution, and how the captaincy itself has changed over time.