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 3 January 2025
Ronald Draper South Africa 24 December 1926 10 February 1950 6 March 1950 98 years, 10 days
Neil Harvey Australia 8 October 1928 22 January 1948 20 February 1963 96 years, 87 days
Trevor McMahon New Zealand 8 November 1929 13 October 1955 6 February 1956 95 years, 56 days
Wazir Mohammad Pakistan 22 December 1929 13 November 1952 13 November 1959 95 years, 12 days
C. D. Gopinath India 1 March 1930 14 March 1951 28 January 1960 94 years, 308 days
Ian Leggat New Zealand 7 June 1930 1 January 1954 5 January 1954 94 years, 210 days
Chandrakant Patankar India 24 November 1930 28 December 1955 2 January 1956 94 years, 40 days
Gavin Stevens Australia 29 February 1932 21 November 1959 6 February 1960 92 years, 309 days
Godfrey Lawrence South Africa 31 March 1932 8 December 1961 20 February 1962 92 years, 278 days
Bob Blair New Zealand 23 June 1932 6 March 1953 13 March 1964 92 years, 194 days

Oldest living Test cricketers by country

Country Player Age as of 3 January 2025
Afghanistan Mohammad Nabi 40 years, 2 days
Australia Neil Harvey 96 years, 87 days
Bangladesh Enamul Haque 58 years, 311 days
England Micky Stewart 92 years, 109 days
India C. D. Gopinath 94 years, 308 days
Ireland Ed Joyce 46 years, 103 days
New Zealand Trevor McMahon 95 years, 56 days
Pakistan Wazir Mohammad 95 years, 12 days
South Africa Ronald Draper 98 years, 10 days
Sri Lanka Somachandra de Silva 82 years, 206 days
West Indies Cammie Smith 91 years, 158 days
Zimbabwe John Traicos 77 years, 231 days

Note: Twenty-seven first-class cricketers are known to have attained centenarian status (see relevant section below).

Source:[1]

Oldest Test cricketers still playing at Test level

Name Country Date of birth Debut Age as of 3 January 2025
Craig Ervine Zimbabwe 19 August 1985 04 August 2011 39 years, 137 days
Noman Ali Pakistan 7 October 1986 26 January 2021 38 years, 88 days

Oldest Test cricketers still playing at Test level, by country

Country Name Age as of 3 January 2025
Afghanistan Amir Hamza 33 years, 141 days
Australia Usman Khawaja 38 years, 16 days
Bangladesh Shakib Al Hasan 37 years, 285 days
England Chris Woakes 35 years, 307 days
India Rohit Sharma 37 years, 248 days
Ireland Craig Young 34 years, 274 days
New Zealand Ajaz Patel 36 years, 74 days
Pakistan Noman Ali 38 years, 88 days
South Africa Dane Paterson 35 years, 274 days
Sri Lanka Angelo Mathews 37 years, 215 days
West Indies Kemar Roach 36 years, 187 days
Zimbabwe Craig Ervine 39 years, 137 days

Note: The above lists include players who have played Test cricket within the past 24 months and have not formally announced their retirement.

Longest-lived Test cricketers

Norman Gordon of South Africa, the only Test cricketer to live to 100
Bill Brown, longest-lived Australian Test cricketer

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 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
John Watkins South Africa 10 April 1923 24 December 1949 5 January 1957 3 September 2021 98 years, 146 days
Lindsay Tuckett South Africa 6 February 1919 7 June 1947 9 March 1949 5 September 2016 97 years, 212 days
Donald Smith England 14 June 1923 20 June 1957 27 July 1957 10 January 2021 97 years, 210 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
Everton Weekes West Indies 26 February 1925 21 January 1948 31 March 1958 1 July 2020 95 years, 126 days
Datta Gaekwad India 27 October 1928 5 June 1952 18 January 1961 13 February 2024 95 years, 109 days
Ken Archer Australia 17 January 1928 22 December 1950 5 December 1951 14 April 2023 95 years, 87 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

Source:[2][3]

Oldest Test debutants

James Southerton, the oldest player on debut
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.

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

Wilfred Rhodes, England Test cricketer from 1899 until 1930
Country Name Age
Australia Bert Ironmonger 50 years, 327 days
Bangladesh Shakib Al Hasan 37 years, 183 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 second-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  England
2 Jim Hutchinson Derbyshire 29 November 1896 7 November 2000 103 years, 344 days  England
3 Syd Ward Wellington 5 August 1907 31 December 2010 103 years, 148 days  New Zealand
4 Norman Gordon South Africa, Transvaal 6 August 1911 2 September 2014 103 years, 27 days  South Africa
5 Rupert de Smidt Western Province 23 November 1883 3 August 1986 102 years, 253 days  South Africa
6 Edward English Hampshire 1 January 1864 5 September 1966 102 years, 247 days  England
7 Cyril Perkins Northamptonshire, Minor Counties 4 June 1911 21 November 2013 102 years, 170 days  England
8 John Wheatley Canterbury 8 January 1860 19 April 1962 102 years, 101 days  New Zealand
9 Archie Scott Scotland 26 January 1918 1 November 2019 101 years, 272 days  Scotland
10 Ted Martin Western Australia 30 September 1902 9 June 2004 101 years, 253 days  Australia
11 D. B. Deodhar Hindus, Maharashtra 14 January 1892 24 August 1993 101 years, 222 days  India
12 George Harman Dublin University 6 June 1874 14 December 1975 101 years, 191 days  Ireland
13 Fred Gibson Leicestershire 13 February 1912 28 June 2013 101 years, 135 days  Jamaica (lived in  England)
14 Alan Finlayson Eastern Province 1 September 1900 28 October 2001 101 years, 57 days  South Africa
15 Neil McCorkell Hampshire, Players 23 March 1912 28 February 2013 100 years, 342 days  England
16 Raghunath Chandorkar Bombay 21 November 1920 3 September 2021 100 years, 286 days  India
17 Geoffrey Beck Oxford University 16 June 1918 5 March 2019 100 years, 262 days  England
18 Harold Stapleton New South Wales 7 January 1915 24 September 2015 100 years, 260 days  Australia
19 Alan Burgess Canterbury 1 May 1920 5 January 2021 100 years, 249 days  New Zealand
20 Rusi Cooper Parsees, Bombay, Middlesex 14 December 1922 31 July 2023 100 years, 229 days  India
21 Charles Braithwaite English Residents, Players of USA 10 September 1845 15 April 1946 100 years, 217 days  United States
22 Harry Forsyth Dublin University 18 December 1903 19 July 2004 100 years, 214 days  Ireland
23 Jack Laver Tasmania 9 March 1917 3 October 2017 100 years, 208 days  Australia
24 Tom Pritchard Wellington, Warwickshire 10 March 1917 22 August 2017 100 years, 165 days  New Zealand
25 Bernarr Notley Nottinghamshire 31 August 1918 22 January 2019 100 years, 144 days  England
26 Vasant Raiji Bombay, Baroda 26 January 1920 13 June 2020 100 years, 139 days  India
27 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.

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] Thirteen players have played first-class cricket in their sixties, most of them in England in the 19th century.[9]

Oldest women cricketers

England women's cricketer Eileen Whelan (later Eileen Ash), born 30 October 1911, was the first female Test cricketer to attain centenarian status; she died on 3 December 2021, aged 110 years 34 days.[10]

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 3 January 2025
Lance Gibbs West Indies 29 September 1934 5 September 1973 7 June 1975 90 years, 96 days
Rohan Kanhai West Indies 26 December 1935 5 September 1973 21 June 1975 89 years, 8 days
Bob Simpson Australia 3 February 1936 22 February 1978 12 April 1978 88 years, 335 days
Sir Garfield Sobers West Indies 28 July 1936 5 September 1973 5 September 1973 88 years, 159 days
Bill Lawry Australia 11 February 1937 5 January 1971 5 January 1971 87 years, 327 days
Farokh Engineer India 25 February 1938 13 July 1974 14 June 1975 86 years, 313 days
Michael Tissera Sri Lanka 23 March 1939 7 June 1975 14 June 1975 85 years, 286 days
Alan Connolly Australia 29 June 1939 5 January 1971 5 January 1971 85 years, 188 days
Ron Headley West Indies 29 June 1939 7 September 1973 7 September 1973 85 years, 188 days
Norman Gifford England 30 March 1940 24 March 1985 26 March 1985 84 years, 279 days

Oldest living Twenty20 International cricketers

The first Twenty20 International took place on 17 February 2005 when Australia played New Zealand.

Name Country Date of birth Debut Last match Age as of 3 January 2025
Osman Göker Turkey 1 March 1960 29 August 2019 29 August 2019 64 years, 308 days
Cengiz Akyüz Turkey 1 June 1962 29 August 2019 29 August 2019 62 years, 216 days
Serdar Kansoy Turkey 6 July 1962 29 August 2019 31 August 2019 62 years, 181 days
Christian Rocca Gibraltar 8 March 1965 13 May 2022 14 May 2022 59 years, 301 days
Hasan Alta Turkey 25 May 1965 29 August 2019 31 August 2019 59 years, 223 days
James Moses Botswana 8 August 1965 20 May 2019 7 November 2021 59 years, 148 days
Mark Oman Slovenia 5 September 1966 25 July 2022 30 July 2022 58 years, 120 days
Sunil Dhaniram Canada 17 October 1968 2 August 2008 10 February 2010 56 years, 78 days
Tony Whiteman Luxembourg 24 May 1969 29 August 2019 5 September 2021 55 years, 224 days
Sanath Jayasuriya Sri Lanka 30 June 1969 15 June 2006 25 June 2011 55 years, 187 days

References

  1. ^ Cricinfo: Oldest living players
  2. ^ Cricinfo: Longest lived players
  3. ^ Rediff: Oldest Test cricketers at the time of death
  4. ^ Cricinfo: Traicos debut
  5. ^ BBC Test Match Special, Ask Bearders: "Can you tell me who is the oldest cricket player to make a Test match debut"
  6. ^ Cricinfo: Oldest players
  7. ^ "It takes a rare cricketer to reach a century, not just make one". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  8. ^ Cricinfo: Ripe old age
  9. ^ "First-Class Oldest Players". The Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  10. ^ "Eileen Ash, 1911-2021". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 4 December 2021.