Lists of oldest cricketers
This is a set of lists of the oldest Test and first-class cricketers.
Oldest living Test cricketers
Name | Country | Date of birth | Debut | Last match | Age as of 7 December 2016 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
John Watkins | South Africa | 10 April 1923 | 24 December 1949 | 5 January 1957 | 93 years, 241 days |
Don Smith | England | 14 June 1923 | 20 June 1957 | 27 July 1957 | 93 years, 176 days |
Roy Miller | West Indies | 24 December 1924 | 11 March 1953 | 17 March 1953 | 91 years, 349 days |
Everton Weekes | West Indies | 26 February 1925 | 21 January 1948 | 31 March 1958 | 91 years, 285 days |
Hubert Doggart | England | 18 July 1925 | 18 June 1950 | 29 June 1950 | 91 years, 142 days |
Doug Insole | England | 18 April 1926 | 20 July 1950 | 30 May 1957 | 90 years, 233 days |
Ronald Draper | South Africa | 24 December 1926 | 10 February 1950 | 6 March 1950 | 89 years, 349 days |
Sid O'Linn | South Africa | 5 May 1927 | 9 June 1960 | 29 December 1961 | 89 years, 216 days |
Imtiaz Ahmed | Pakistan | 5 January 1928 | 16 October 1952 | 20 August 1962 | 88 years, 337 days |
Oldest living Test cricketers by country
- Australia: Ken Archer – 88 years, 325 days
- Bangladesh: Enamul Haque – 50 years, 284 days
- England: Don Smith – 93 years, 176 days
- India: Datta Gaekwad – 88 years, 41 days
- New Zealand: John Richard Reid – 88 years, 187 days
- Pakistan: Imtiaz Ahmed – 88 years, 337 days
- South Africa: John Watkins – 93 years, 241 days
- Sri Lanka: Somachandra de Silva – 74 years, 179 days
- West Indies: Roy Miller – 91 years, 349 days
- Zimbabwe: John Traicos – 69 years, 204 days
Note: Eighteen first-class cricketers are known to have attained centenarian status (see relevant section below). John Manners, who represented Hampshire and Combined Services amongst others, appears to be the oldest living, born 25 September 1914, thus aged 102 years, 73 days.
Source:[1]
Oldest Test cricketers still playing at Test level
Namelll | Country | Date of birth | Debut | Age as at 7 December 2016 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Misbah-ul-Haq | Pakistan | 28 May 1974 | 08 March 2001 | 42 years, 193 days |
Younis Khan | Pakistan | 29 November 1977 | 26 February 2000 | 39 years, 8 days |
Rangana Herath | Sri Lanka | 19 March 1978 | 22 September 1999 | 38 years, 323 days |
Zulfiqar Babar | Pakistan | 10 December 1978 | 14 October 2013 | 37 years, 363 days |
Imran Tahir | South Africa | 27 March 1979 | 9 November 2011 | 37 years, 255 days |
Adam Voges | Australia | 4 October 1979 | 3 June 2015 | 37 years, 64 days |
Harbhajan Singh | India | 3 July 1980 | 25 March 1998 | 36 years, 157 days |
Mohammad Hafeez | Pakistan | 17 October 1980 | 20 August 2003 | 36 years, 51 days |
Oldest Test cricketers still playing at Test level, by country
- Australia: Adam Voges – 37 years, 64 days
- Bangladesh: Abdur Razzak – 34 years, 175 days
- England: Gareth Batty – 39 years, 55 days
- India: Harbhajan Singh – 36 years, 156 days
- New Zealand: Luke Ronchi – 35 years, 228 days
- Pakistan: Misbah-ul-Haq – 42 years, 193 days
- South Africa: Imran Tahir – 37 years, 255 days
- Sri Lanka: Rangana Herath – 38 years, 263 days
- West Indies: Marlon Samuels – 35 years, 306 days
Note: The above lists include players who have played Test cricket within the past 12 months (Zimbabwe are excluded as they have not played a Test since November 2014) and have not formally announced their retirement.
Oldest Test cricketers
Name | Country | Date of birth | Debut | Last match | Date of death | Age |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Norman Gordon | South Africa | 6 August 1911 | 24 December 1938 | 14 March 1939 | 2 September 2014 | 103 years, 27 days |
Eric Tindill | New Zealand | 18 December 1910 | 26 June 1937 | 25 March 1947 | 1 August 2010 | 99 years, 226 days |
Francis MacKinnon | England | 9 April 1848 | 2 January 1879 | 4 January 1879 | 27 February 1947 | 98 years, 324 days |
Lindsay Tuckett | South Africa | 6 February 1919 | 7 June 1947 | 9 March 1949 | 5 September 2016 | 97 years, 305 days |
Jack Kerr | New Zealand | 28 December 1910 | 27 June 1931 | 27 July 1937 | 27 May 2007 | 96 years, 150 days |
Wilfred Rhodes | England | 29 October 1877 | 1 June 1899 | 12 April 1930 | 8 July 1973 | 95 years, 252 days |
Bill Brown | Australia | 31 July 1912 | 8 June 1934 | 29 June 1948 | 16 March 2008 | 95 years, 229 days |
Lindsay Weir | New Zealand | 2 June 1908 | 24 January 1930 | 17 August 1937 | 31 October 2003 | 95 years, 151 days |
Sydney Barnes | England | 19 April 1873 | 13 December 1901 | 18 February 1914 | 26 December 1967 | 94 years, 251 days |
Andy Ganteaume | West Indies | 22 January 1921 | 11 February 1948 | 16 February 1948 | 17 February 2016 | 95 years, 320 days |
Esmond Kentish | West Indies | 21 November 1916 | 27 March 1948 | 21 January 1954 | 10 June 2011 | 94 years, 201 days |
M. J. Gopalan | India | 6 June 1909 | 5 January 1934 | 8 January 1934 | 21 December 2003 | 94 years, 198 days |
Ron Hamence | Australia | 25 November 1915 | 28 February 1947 | 5 January 1948 | 24 March 2010 | 94 years, 119 days |
Denis Begbie | South Africa | 12 December 1914 | 6 December 1948 | 6 March 1950 | 10 March 2009 | 94 years, 88 days |
Jack Newman | New Zealand | 3 July 1902 | 27 February 1932 | 3 April 1933 | 23 September 1996 | 94 years, 82 days |
Don Cleverley | New Zealand | 23 December 1909 | 27 February 1932 | 30 March 1946 | 16 February 2004 | 94 years, 55 days |
Note: The longest lived Pakistan Test cricketer was Aslam Khokhar, known as Mohammad Aslam, who died aged 91 years, 17 days in January 2011.
Oldest Test debutant
Name | Country | Date of birth | Debut | Age |
---|---|---|---|---|
James Southerton | England | 16 November 1827 | 15 March 1877 | 49 years, 119 days |
Miran Bakhsh | Pakistan | 20 April 1907 | 29 January 1955 | 47 years, 284 days |
Don Blackie | Australia | 5 April 1882 | 14 December 1928 | 46 years, 253 days |
Bert Ironmonger | Australia | 7 April 1882 | 30 November 1928 | 46 years, 237 days |
Nelson Betancourt | West Indies | 4 June 1887 | 1 February 1930 | 42 years, 242 days |
Rockley Wilson | England | 25 March 1879 | 25 February 1921 | 41 years, 337 days |
Rustomji Jamshedji | India | 18 November 1892 | 15 December 1933 | 41 years, 27 days |
Oldest Test debutant by country
- Australia – Don Blackie (46 years, 253 days)
- Bangladesh – Enamul Haque (35 years, 58 days)
- England – James Southerton (49 years, 119 days)
- India – Rustomji Jamshedji (41 years, 27 days)
- New Zealand – Herb McGirr (38 years, 101 days)
- Pakistan – Miran Bakhsh (47 years, 284 days)
- South Africa – Omar Henry (40 years, 295 days)
- Sri Lanka – Somachandra de Silva (39 years, 251 days)
- West Indies – Nelson Betancourt (42 years, 242 days)
- Zimbabwe – Andy Waller (37 years, 84 days) Note: John Traicos debuted for Zimbabwe at the age of 45 years, 154 days, but had already played three Tests for South Africa 22 years prior.[4]
Note: The oldest debutant, James Southerton, was also the first Test cricketer to die (on 16 June 1880). Miran Bakhsh was known as Miran Bux during his playing career. The only septuagenarian to play first-class cricket was Raja Maharaj Singh, aged 72, his sole appearance being for the Bombay Governor's XI against a Commonwealth XI in November 1950.[5] The longest lived first-class cricketer is believed to have been Jim Hutchinson who represented Derbyshire from 1920 until 1931 and who died aged 103 years, 344 days in 2000.
Source:[6]
Oldest Test cricketers on final appearance
Name | Country | Date of birth | Test Debut | Last match | Age at last Test |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wilfred Rhodes | England | 29 October 1877 | 1 June 1899 | 12 April 1930 | 52 years, 165 days |
Bert Ironmonger | Australia | 7 April 1882 | 30 November 1928 | 28 February 1933 | 50 years, 327 days |
WG Grace | England | 18 July 1848 | 6 September 1880 | 3 June 1899 | 50 years, 320 days |
George Gunn | England | 13 June 1879 | 13 December 1907 | 12 April 1930 | 50 years, 303 days |
James Southerton | England | 16 November 1827 | 15 March 1877 | 4 April 1877 | 49 years, 139 days |
Miran Bakhsh | Pakistan | 20 April 1907 | 29 January 1955 | 16 February 1955 | 47 years, 302 days |
Sir Jack Hobbs | England | 16 December 1882 | 1 January 1908 | 22 August 1930 | 47 years, 249 days |
Frank Woolley | England | 27 May 1887 | 9 August 1909 | 22 August 1934 | 47 years, 87 days |
Oldest Test cricketers on final appearance by country
- Australia – Bert Ironmonger (50 years, 327 days)
- Bangladesh – Mohammad Rafique (37 years, 180 days)
- England – Wilfred Rhodes (52 years, 165 days)
- India – Vinoo Mankad (41 years, 305 days)
- New Zealand – Jack Alabaster (41 years, 247 days)
- Pakistan – Miran Bakhsh (47 years, 302 days)
- South Africa – Dave Nourse (45 years, 207 days)
- Sri Lanka – Somachandra de Silva (42 years, 78 days)
- West Indies – George Headley (44 years, 236 days)
- Zimbabwe – John Traicos (45 years, 304 days)
Note: The Test career of Wilfred Rhodes spanned a record 30 years, 315 days. England's youngest Test cricketer and another Yorkshireman, Brian Close (born 24 February 1931), lies second in this regard. He made his debut against New Zealand in 1949 and was recalled, after an absence of almost nine years, to oppose West Indies in 1976 (his career lasting 26 years, 356 days).
Source:[7]
Oldest first-class cricketers
This list includes players who lived to 100 or more.
Deceased Living
Rank | Name | Team(s) | Birth date | Death date | Age | Nationality |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Jim Hutchinson | Derbyshire | 29 November 1896 | 7 November 2000 | 103 years, 344 days | England |
2 | Syd Ward | Wellington | 5 August 1907 | 31 December 2010 | 103 years, 148 days | New Zealand |
3 | Norman Gordon | South Africa, Transvaal | 6 August 1911 | 2 September 2014 | 103 years, 27 days | South Africa |
4 | Rupert de Smidt | Western Province | 23 November 1883 | 3 August 1986 | 102 years, 253 days | South Africa |
5 | Edward English | Hampshire | 1 January 1864 | 5 September 1966 | 102 years, 247 days | England |
6 | Cyril Perkins | Northamptonshire, Minor Counties | 4 June 1911 | 21 November 2013 | 102 years, 170 days | England |
7 | John Wheatley | Canterbury | 8 January 1860 | 19 April 1962 | 102 years, 101 days | New Zealand |
8 | John Manners | Hampshire, Combined Services | 25 September 1914 | Living | 102 years, 73 days | Living in England |
9 | Ted Martin | Western Australia | 30 September 1902 | 9 June 2004 | 101 years, 253 days | Australia |
10 | D. B. Deodhar | Hindus, Maharashtra | 14 January 1892 | 24 August 1993 | 101 years, 222 days | India |
11 | George Harman | Dublin University | 6 June 1874 | 14 December 1975 | 101 years, 191 days | Ireland |
12 | Fred Gibson | Leicestershire | 13 February 1912 | 28 June 2013 | 101 years, 135 days | Jamaica (lived in England) |
13 | Alan Finlayson | Eastern Province | 1 September 1900 | 28 October 2001 | 101 years, 57 days | South Africa |
14 | Neil McCorkell | Hampshire, Players | 23 March 1912 | 28 February 2013 | 100 years, 342 days | England |
15 | Harold Stapleton | New South Wales | 7 January 1915 | 24 September 2015 | 100 years, 260 days | Australia |
16 | Charles Braithwaite | English Residents, Players of USA | 10 September 1845 | 15 April 1946 | 100 years, 217 days | United States |
17 | Harry Forsyth | Dublin University | 18 December 1903 | 19 July 2004 | 100 years, 214 days | Ireland |
18 | George Deane | Hampshire | 11 December 1828 | 26 February 1929 | 100 years, 77 days | England |
Note: Although born in New South Wales, Australia, Syd Ward and John Wheatley appear to have been raised in New Zealand. George Harman, who acquired two Rugby Union caps for Ireland, died in Cornwall. Charles Braithwaite was born in England. Fred Gibson moved to England in 1944. Neil McCorkell was born in England, but lived in South Africa from 1951. The prominent Antiguan cricketer, Sir Sydney Walling, who died aged 102 years, 88 days in October 2009, never appeared in matches accorded first-class status.
Women cricketers
England Women's cricketer Eileen Whelan (born 30 October 1911) was the first female Test cricketer to attain centenarian status, currently aged 105 years, 38 days. Thelma McKenzie (Australia, born 6 April 1915) became second to achieve this landmark.
References
- ↑ Cricinfo: Oldest living players
- ↑ Cricinfo: Longest lived players
- ↑ Rediff: Oldest Test cricketers at the time of death
- ↑ Cricinfo: Traicos debut
- ↑ Cricinfo: Ripe old age
- ↑ BBC Test Match Special, Ask Bearders: "Can you tell me who is the oldest cricket player to make a Test match debut"
- ↑ Cricinfo: Oldest players