Lists of oldest cricketers
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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 4 September 2024 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
John Watkins | South Africa | 10 April 1923 | 24 December 1949 | 5 January 1957 | 101 years, 147 days |
Don Smith | England | 14 June 1923 | 20 June 1957 | 27 July 1957 | 101 years, 82 days |
Everton Weekes | West Indies | 26 February 1925 | 21 January 1948 | 31 March 1958 | 99 years, 191 days |
Ronald Draper | South Africa | 24 December 1926 | 10 February 1950 | 6 March 1950 | 97 years, 255 days |
Ken Archer | Australia | 17 January 1928 | 22 December 1950 | 5 December 1951 | 96 years, 231 days |
John Reid | New Zealand | 3 June 1928 | 23 July 1949 | 13 July 1965 | 96 years, 93 days |
Neil Harvey | Australia | 8 October 1928 | 22 January 1948 | 20 February 1963 | 95 years, 332 days |
Datta Gaekwad | India | 27 October 1928 | 5 June 1952 | 18 January 1961 | 95 years, 313 days |
Colin McDonald | Australia | 17 November 1928 | 25 January 1952 | 8 July 1961 | 95 years, 292 days |
Ian Thomson | England | 23 January 1929 | 4 December 1964 | 16 February 1965 | 95 years, 225 days |
Oldest living Test cricketers by country
Sl No. | Country | Player | Age as of 4 September 2024 |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Afghanistan | Mohammad Nabi | 39 years, 247 days |
2 | Australia | Ken Archer | 96 years, 231 days |
3 | Bangladesh | Enamul Haque | 58 years, 190 days |
4 | England | Don Smith | 101 years, 82 days |
5 | India | Datta Gaekwad | 95 years, 313 days |
6 | Ireland | Ed Joyce | 45 years, 348 days |
7 | New Zealand | John Reid | 96 years, 93 days |
8 | Pakistan | Wazir Mohammad | 94 years, 257 days |
9 | South Africa | John Watkins | 101 years, 147 days |
10 | Sri Lanka | Somachandra de Silva | 82 years, 85 days |
11 | West Indies | Everton Weekes | 99 years, 191 days |
12 | Zimbabwe | John Traicos | 77 years, 110 days |
Note: Twenty-five first-class cricketers are known to have attained centenarian status (see relevant section below). Vasant Raiji appears to be the oldest living, born 26 January 1920, thus aged 104 years, 222 days.
Source:[1]
Oldest Test cricketers still playing at Test level
Name | Country | Date of birth | Debut | Age as of 4 September 2024 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Devon Smith | West Indies | 21 October 1981 | 10 April 2003 | 42 years, 319 days |
Dilruwan Perera | Sri Lanka | 22 July 1982 | 17 January 2014 | 42 years, 44 days |
Jimmy Anderson | England | 30 July 1982 | 22 May 2003 | 42 years, 36 days |
Shaun Marsh | Australia | 9 July 1983 | 8 September 2011 | 41 years, 57 days |
Oldest Test cricketers still playing at Test level, by country
Country | Name | Age as of 4 September 2024 |
---|---|---|
Afghanistan | Asghar Afghan | 36 years, 257 days |
Australia | Shaun Marsh | 41 years, 57 days |
Bangladesh | Mahmudullah | 38 years, 213 days |
England | Jimmy Anderson | 42 years, 36 days |
India | Wriddhiman Saha | 39 years, 316 days |
Ireland | William Porterfield | 39 years, 364 days |
New Zealand | Ross Taylor | 40 years, 180 days |
Pakistan | Azhar Ali | 39 years, 198 days |
South Africa | Faf du Plessis | 40 years, 53 days |
Sri Lanka | Dilruwan Perera | 42 years, 44 days |
West Indies | Devon Smith | 42 years, 319 days |
Zimbabwe | Craig Ervine | 39 years, 16 days |
Note: The above lists include players who have played Test cricket within the past 18 months and have not formally announced their retirement.
Longest-lived Test cricketers
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1a/Norman_Gordon_of_South_Africa.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c8/BillBrown2.jpg/220px-BillBrown2.jpg)
See also Oldest living Test cricketers above.
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 1927 | 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, 212 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 |
Andy Ganteaume | West Indies | 22 January 1921 | 11 February 1948 | 16 February 1948 | 17 February 2016 | 95 years, 26 days |
Sydney Barnes | England | 19 April 1873 | 13 December 1901 | 18 February 1914 | 26 December 1967 | 94 years, 251 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 |
Oldest Test debutants
Name | Country | Date of birth | Debut | Age at debut |
---|---|---|---|---|
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
Country | Name | Age at debut |
---|---|---|
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 |
Ireland | Ed Joyce | 39 years, 232 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 longest-lived first-class cricketer is believed to have been John Manners. See also Longest-lived first-class cricketers below.
Source:[5]
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 |
Don Blackie | Australia | 5 April 1882 | 14 December 1928 | 8 February 1929 | 46 years, 309 days |
Bert Strudwick | England | 28 January 1880 | 1 January 1910 | 18 August 1926 | 46 years, 202 days |
Oldest Test cricketers on final appearance by country
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/15/Wilfred_Rhodes_1920.tiff/lossless-page1-178px-Wilfred_Rhodes_1920.tiff.png)
Country | Name | Age as of 4 September 2024 |
---|---|---|
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 |
Ireland | Ed Joyce | 39 years, 231 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:[6]
Longest-lived first-class cricketers
This list includes all those first-class players who are known to have lived to 100.[7]
Deceased Living
Rank | Name | Team(s) | Birth date | Death date | Age | Nationality |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | John Manners | Hampshire, Combined Services | 25 September 1914 | 7 March 2020 | 105 years, 225 days | ![]() |
2 | Jim Hutchinson | Derbyshire | 29 November 1896 | 7 November 2000 | 103 years, 344 days | ![]() |
3 | Syd Ward | Wellington | 5 August 1907 | 31 December 2010 | 103 years, 148 days | ![]() |
4 | Norman Gordon | South Africa, Transvaal | 6 August 1911 | 2 September 2014 | 103 years, 27 days | ![]() |
5 | Rupert de Smidt | Western Province | 23 November 1883 | 3 August 1986 | 102 years, 253 days | ![]() |
6 | Edward English | Hampshire | 1 January 1864 | 5 September 1966 | 102 years, 247 days | ![]() |
7 | Cyril Perkins | Northamptonshire, Minor Counties | 4 June 1911 | 21 November 2013 | 102 years, 170 days | ![]() |
8 | John Wheatley | Canterbury | 8 January 1860 | 19 April 1962 | 102 years, 101 days | ![]() |
9 | Archie Scott | Scotland | 26 January 1918 | 1 November 2019 | 101 years, 272 days | ![]() |
10 | Ted Martin | Western Australia | 30 September 1902 | 9 June 2004 | 101 years, 253 days | ![]() |
11 | D. B. Deodhar | Hindus, Maharashtra | 14 January 1892 | 24 August 1993 | 101 years, 222 days | ![]() |
12 | George Harman | Dublin University | 6 June 1874 | 14 December 1975 | 101 years, 191 days | ![]() |
13 | Fred Gibson | Leicestershire | 13 February 1912 | 28 June 2013 | 101 years, 135 days | ![]() ![]() |
14 | Alan Finlayson | Eastern Province | 1 September 1900 | 28 October 2001 | 101 years, 57 days | ![]() |
15 | Neil McCorkell | Hampshire, Players | 23 March 1912 | 28 February 2013 | 100 years, 342 days | ![]() |
16 | Geoffrey Beck | Oxford University | 16 June 1918 | 5 March 2019 | 100 years, 262 days | ![]() |
17 | Harold Stapleton | New South Wales | 7 January 1915 | 24 September 2015 | 100 years, 260 days | ![]() |
18 | Charles Braithwaite | English Residents, Players of USA | 10 September 1845 | 15 April 1946 | 100 years, 217 days | ![]() |
19 | Harry Forsyth | Dublin University | 18 December 1903 | 19 July 2004 | 100 years, 214 days | ![]() |
20 | Jack Laver | Tasmania | 9 March 1917 | 3 October 2017 | 100 years, 208 days | ![]() |
21 | Tom Pritchard | Wellington, Warwickshire | 10 March 1917 | 22 August 2017 | 100 years, 165 days | ![]() |
22 | Bernarr Notley | Nottinghamshire | 31 August 1918 | 22 January 2019 | 100 years, 144 days | ![]() |
23 | Vasant Raiji | Bombay, Baroda | 26 January 1920 | 13 June 2020 | 100 years, 139 days | ![]() |
24 | George Deane | Hampshire | 11 December 1828 | 26 February 1929 | 100 years, 77 days | ![]() |
25 | Alan Burgess | Canterbury | 1 May 1920 | Living | 104 years, 126 days | Living in ![]() |
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.
The oldest person, and 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.[8]
Oldest women cricketers
England women's cricketer Eileen Whelan (born 30 October 1911) was the first female Test cricketer to attain centenarian status; she is currently aged 112 years, 310 days. Thelma McKenzie (Australia, born 6 April 1915) was the second to achieve this landmark; she is currently aged 109 years, 151 days.
Oldest living ODI cricketers
The first One-Day International took place on 5 January 1971 when Australia played England.
Name | Country | Date of birth | Debut | Last match | Age as of 4 September 2024 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ray Illingworth | England | 8 June 1932 | 5 January 1971 | 20 July 1973 | 92 years, 88 days |
Lance Gibbs | West Indies | 29 September 1934 | 5 September 1973 | 7 June 1975 | 89 years, 341 days |
Rohan Kanhai | West Indies | 26 December 1935 | 5 September 1973 | 21 June 1975 | 88 years, 253 days |
Bob Simpson | Australia | 3 February 1936 | 22 February 1978 | 12 April 1978 | 88 years, 214 days |
Garfield Sobers | West Indies | 28 July 1936 | 5 September 1973 | 5 September 1973 | 88 years, 38 days |
Bill Lawry | Australia | 11 February 1937 | 5 January 1971 | 5 January 1971 | 87 years, 206 days |
John Edrich | England | 21 June 1937 | 5 January 1971 | 9 March 1975 | 87 years, 75 days |
Farokh Engineer | India | 25 February 1938 | 13 July 1974 | 14 June 1975 | 86 years, 192 days |
John Nagenda | East Africa | 25 April 1938 | 7 June 1975 | 7 June 1975 | 86 years, 132 days |
Michael Tissera | Sri Lanka | 23 March 1939 | 7 June 1975 | 14 June 1975 | 85 years, 165 days |
Alan Connolly | Australia | 29 June 1939 | 5 January 1971 | 5 January 1971 | 85 years, 67 days |
Ron Headley | West Indies | 29 June 1939 | 7 September 1973 | 7 September 1973 | 85 years, 67 days |
Oldest living Twenty20 International cricketers
The first Twenty20 International took place on 17 February 2005 when Australia played New Zealand. The oldest living T20I cricketers are:
- Osman Göker of Turkey, currently aged 64 years, 187 days
- Cengiz Akyüz of Turkey, currently aged 62 years, 95 days
- Serdar Kansoy of Turkey, currently aged 62 years, 60 days
- Hasan Alta of Turkey, currently aged 59 years, 102 days
- James Moses, currently aged 59 years, 27 days
- Sunil Dhaniram, currently aged 55 years, 323 days
- Tony Whiteman of Luxembourg, currently aged 55 years, 103 days
- Sanath Jayasuriya, currently aged 55 years, 66 days
- Sanjayan Thuraisingam, currently aged 54 years, 359 days
References
- ^ Cricinfo: Oldest living players
- ^ Cricinfo: Longest lived players
- ^ Rediff: Oldest Test cricketers at the time of death
- ^ Cricinfo: Traicos debut
- ^ 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
- ^ "It takes a rare cricketer to reach a century, not just make one". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
- ^ Cricinfo: Ripe old age