Making a debut for the national team is an ardent dream for any budding cricketer. Moreover, a Test debut is even more special considering the fact that it is the toughest format.
Debutants are certainly the most exciting players to watch as there’re always doubts if they belong to the level and if they’ll achieve as much as they aspire. With their greatest dream of playing Test cricket coming to reality, some players tend to rise to the occasion while some simply fail.
Discussing such test debutants and their achievements, here’s presenting you some of the records and stats around Test debutants:
Youngest Debutants in Test Cricket
| Player | Age on Test Debut | Against | Venue | Match Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hasan Raza (PAK) | 14y 227d | Zimbabwe | Faisalabad | 24 Oct 1996 |
| Mushtaq Mohammad PAK) | 15y 124d | West Indies | Lahore | 26 Mar 1959 |
| Mohammad Sharif (BAN) | 15y 128d | Zimbabwe | Bulawayo | 19 Apr 2001 |
| Aaqib Javed (PAK) | 16y 189d | New Zealand | Wellington | 10 Feb 1989 |
| Sachin Tendulkar (IND) | 16y 205d | Pakistan | Karachi | 15 Nov 1989 |
| Aftab Baloch (PAK) | 16y 221d | New Zealand | Dhaka | 8 Nov 1969 |
| Talha Jubair (BAN) | 16y 223d | Sri Lanka | Colombo (PSS) | 21 Jul 2002 |
| Nasim-ul-Ghani (PAK) | 16y 248d | West Indies | Bridgetown | 17 Jan 1958 |
| Naseem Shah (PAK) | 16y 279d | Australia | Brisbane | 21 Nov 2019 |
| Enamul Haque Jnr (BAN) | 16y 320d | England | Dhaka | 21 Oct 2003 |
Key Facts
When Pakistan’s Hasan Raza made his test debut at the tender age of 14 years and 227 days, he became the youngest Test debutant breaking the record of his countryman Mushtaq Mohammad.
Pakistan has the habit of bringing in youngsters very early at their age to International cricket – the reason why you see lot of names from the Asian side in the above list. Six of the ten entrants are from Pakistan.
However, except for Sachin Tendulkar and Aaqib Javed (to an extend), no other player in the above list went on to set a successful career.
Oldest Debutants in Test Cricket
| Players | Age on Test Debut | Against | Venue | Match Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Southerton (ENG) | 49y 119d | Australia | Melbourne | 15 Mar 1877 |
| Miran Bakhsh (PAK) | 47y 284d | India | Lahore | 29 Jan 1955 |
| Donald Dearness Blackie (AUS) | 46y 256d | England | Sydney | 14 Dec 1928 |
| Herbert Ironmonger (AUS) | 46y 237d | England | Brisbane | 30 Nov 1928 |
| Nelson Betancourt (WI) | 42y 242d | England | Port of Spain | 1 Feb 1930 |
| Rockley Wilson (ENG) | 41y 337d | Australia | Sydney | 25 Feb 1921 |
| Rustomji Jamshedji (IND) | 41y 27d | England | Mumbai | 15 Dec 1933 |
| Archie Wiles (WI) | 40y 345d | England | Manchester | 22 Jul 1933 |
| Omar Henry (SA) | 40y 295d | India | Durban | 13 Nov 1992 |
| Sep Kinneir (ENG) | 40y 216d | Australia | Sydney | 15 Dec 1911 |
Key Stats
As staggering as it may sound, the oldest Test debutant is 35 years older than the youngest one. England’s James Southerton has held on to this record since 1877 and it’s very unlikely that it’ll ever be broken.
James Southerton, who still holds the record for the oldest cricketer to debut in Test cricket, played only two matches and picked seven wickets before retiring in 1879. Southerton was also the first cricketer to die when he fell to a short attack of pleurisy ten months after his retirement.
The highest number of Test matches any of the above ten cricketers played is 14 by Caribbean’s Nelson Betancourt. No other cricketer has played more than 4 Test matches.
Ed Joyce, who was part of Ireland’s first-ever Test match since the team’s recently acclaimed full-member status, is the only cricketer to debut at 37 in Tests in the 21st century. He was 39 years and 231 days old when Ireland played its inaugural Test match against Pakistan in 2018 in Dublin.
Rustomji Jamshedji, at the age of 41, is the oldest Indian cricketer to make his Test debut.
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