Lists of oldest cricketers


This is a set of lists of the oldest Test and first-class cricketers.

Oldest living Test cricketers

NameCountryDate of birthDebutLast matchAge as of
John WatkinsSouth Africa10 April 192324 December 19495 January 1957
Don SmithEngland14 June 192320 June 195727 July 1957
Ronald DraperSouth Africa24 December 192610 February 19506 March 1950
Ken ArcherAustralia17 January 192822 December 19505 December 1951
John ReidNew Zealand3 June 192823 July 194913 July 1965
Neil HarveyAustralia8 October 192822 January 194820 February 1963
Datta GaekwadIndia27 October 19285 June 195218 January 1961
Colin McDonaldAustralia17 November 192825 January 19528 July 1961
Ian ThomsonEngland23 January 19294 December 196416 February 1965
Sonny RamadhinWest Indies1 May 19298 June 19503 January 1961

Oldest living Test cricketers by country

Sl No.CountryPlayerAge as of
1AfghanistanMohammad Nabi
2AustraliaKen Archer
3BangladeshEnamul Haque
4EnglandDon Smith
5IndiaDatta Gaekwad
6IrelandEd Joyce
7New ZealandJohn Reid
8PakistanWazir Mohammad
9South AfricaJohn Watkins
10Sri LankaSomachandra de Silva
11West IndiesSonny Ramadhin
12ZimbabweJohn Traicos

Note: Twenty-five first-class cricketers are known to have attained centenarian status.
Source:

Oldest Test cricketers still playing at Test level

NameCountryDate of birthDebutAge as of
Devon SmithWest Indies21 October 198110 April 2003
Dilruwan PereraSri Lanka22 July 198217 January 2014
Jimmy AndersonEngland30 July 198222 May 2003
Shaun MarshAustralia9 July 19838 September 2011

Oldest Test cricketers still playing at Test level, by country

CountryNameAge as of
AfghanistanAsghar Afghan
AustraliaShaun Marsh
BangladeshMahmudullah
EnglandJimmy Anderson
IndiaWriddhiman Saha
IrelandWilliam Porterfield
New ZealandRoss Taylor
PakistanAzhar Ali
South AfricaFaf du Plessis
Sri LankaDilruwan Perera
West IndiesDevon Smith
ZimbabweCraig Ervine

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

See also Oldest living Test cricketers above.
NameCountryDate of birthDebutLast matchDate of deathAge
Norman GordonSouth Africa6 August 191124 December 193814 March 19392 September 2014
Eric TindillNew Zealand18 December 191026 June 192725 March 19471 August 2010
Francis MacKinnonEngland9 April 18482 January 18794 January 187927 February 1947
Lindsay TuckettSouth Africa6 February 19197 June 19479 March 19495 September 2016
Jack KerrNew Zealand28 December 191027 June 193127 July 193727 May 2007
Wilfred RhodesEngland29 October 18771 June 189912 April 19308 July 1973
Bill BrownAustralia31 July 19128 June 193429 June 194816 March 2008
Lindsay WeirNew Zealand2 June 190824 January 193017 August 193731 October 2003
Everton WeekesWest Indies26 February 192521 January 194831 March 19581 July 2020
Andy GanteaumeWest Indies22 January 192111 February 194816 February 194817 February 2016
Sydney BarnesEngland19 April 187313 December 190118 February 191426 December 1967
Esmond KentishWest Indies21 November 191627 March 194821 January 195410 June 2011
M. J. GopalanIndia6 June 19095 January 19348 January 193421 December 2003
Ron HamenceAustralia25 November 191528 February 19475 January 194824 March 2010
Denis BegbieSouth Africa12 December 19146 December 19486 March 195010 March 2009
Jack NewmanNew Zealand3 July 190227 February 19323 April 193323 September 1996
Don CleverleyNew Zealand23 December 190927 February 193230 March 194616 February 2004

Source:

Oldest Test debutants

NameCountryDate of birthDebutAge at debut
James SouthertonEngland16 November 182715 March 1877
Miran BakhshPakistan20 April 190729 January 1955
Don BlackieAustralia5 April 188214 December 1928
Bert IronmongerAustralia7 April 188230 November 1928
Nelson BetancourtWest Indies4 June 18871 February 1930
Rockley WilsonEngland25 March 187925 February 1921
Rustomji JamshedjiIndia18 November 189215 December 1933

Oldest Test debutant by country

CountryNameAge at debut
AustraliaDon Blackie46 years, 253 days
BangladeshEnamul Haque35 years, 58 days
EnglandJames Southerton
IndiaRustomji Jamshedji41 years, 27 days
IrelandEd Joyce39 years, 232 days
New ZealandHerb McGirr38 years, 101 days
PakistanMiran Bakhsh47 years, 284 days
South AfricaOmar Henry40 years, 295 days
Sri LankaSomachandra de Silva39 years, 251 days
West IndiesNelson Betancourt42 years, 242 days
ZimbabweAndy Waller37 years, 84 days

Note: John Traicos debuted for Zimbabwe at the age of, but had already played three Tests for South Africa 22 years prior.
Note: The oldest debutant, James Southerton, was also the first Test cricketer to die. 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:

Oldest Test cricketers on final appearance

NameCountryDate of birthTest DebutLast matchAge at last Test
Wilfred RhodesEngland29 October 18771 June 189912 April 1930
Bert IronmongerAustralia7 April 188230 November 192828 February 1933
WG GraceEngland18 July 18486 September 18803 June 1899
George GunnEngland13 June 187913 December 190712 April 1930
James SouthertonEngland16 November 182715 March 18774 April 1877
Miran BakhshPakistan20 April 190729 January 195516 February 1955
Sir Jack HobbsEngland16 December 18821 January 190822 August 1930
Frank WoolleyEngland27 May 18879 August 190922 August 1934
Don BlackieAustralia5 April 188214 December 19288 February 1929
Bert StrudwickEngland28 January 18801 January 191018 August 1926

Oldest Test cricketers on final appearance by country

CountryNameAge as of
AustraliaBert Ironmonger50 years, 327 days
BangladeshMohammad Rafique
EnglandWilfred Rhodes
IndiaVinoo Mankad41 years, 305 days
IrelandEd Joyce39 years, 231 days
New ZealandJack Alabaster41 years, 247 days
PakistanMiran Bakhsh47 years, 302 days
South AfricaDave Nourse45 years, 207 days
Sri LankaSomachandra de Silva42 years, 78 days
West IndiesGeorge Headley44 years, 236 days
ZimbabweJohn Traicos45 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, 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.
Source:

Longest-lived first-class cricketers

This list includes all those first-class players who are known to have lived to 100.
RankNameTeamBirth dateDeath dateAgeNationality
1John MannersHampshire, Combined Services25 September 19147 March 2020105 years, 225 days
2Jim HutchinsonDerbyshire29 November 18967 November 2000103 years, 344 days
3Syd WardWellington5 August 190731 December 2010103 years, 148 days
4Norman GordonSouth Africa, Transvaal6 August 19112 September 2014103 years, 27 days
5Rupert de SmidtWestern Province23 November 18833 August 1986102 years, 253 days
6Edward EnglishHampshire1 January 18645 September 1966102 years, 247 days
7Cyril PerkinsNorthamptonshire, Minor Counties4 June 191121 November 2013102 years, 170 days
8John WheatleyCanterbury8 January 186019 April 1962102 years, 101 days
9Archie ScottScotland26 January 19181 November 2019101 years, 272 days
10Ted MartinWestern Australia30 September 19029 June 2004101 years, 253 days
11D. B. DeodharHindus, Maharashtra14 January 189224 August 1993101 years, 222 days
12George HarmanDublin University6 June 187414 December 1975101 years, 191 days
13Fred GibsonLeicestershire13 February 191228 June 2013101 years, 135 days
14Alan FinlaysonEastern Province1 September 190028 October 2001101 years, 57 days
15Neil McCorkellHampshire, Players23 March 191228 February 2013100 years, 342 days
16Geoffrey BeckOxford University16 June 19185 March 2019100 years, 262 days
17Harold StapletonNew South Wales7 January 191524 September 2015100 years, 260 days
18Charles BraithwaiteEnglish Residents, Players of USA10 September 184515 April 1946100 years, 217 days
19Harry ForsythDublin University18 December 190319 July 2004100 years, 214 days
20Jack LaverTasmania9 March 19173 October 2017100 years, 208 days
21Tom PritchardWellington, Warwickshire10 March 191722 August 2017100 years, 165 days
22Bernarr NotleyNottinghamshire31 August 191822 January 2019100 years, 144 days
23Vasant RaijiBombay, Baroda26 January 192013 June 2020100 years, 139 days
24George DeaneHampshire11 December 182826 February 1929100 years, 77 days
25Alan BurgessCanterbury1 May 1920LivingLiving 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.

Oldest women cricketers

England women's cricketer Eileen Whelan was the first female Test cricketer to attain centenarian status; she is currently aged. Thelma McKenzie was the second to achieve this landmark; she is currently aged.

Oldest living ODI cricketers

The first One-Day International took place on 5 January 1971 when Australia played England.
NameCountryDate of birthDebutLast matchAge as of
Ray IllingworthEngland8 June 19325 January 197120 July 1973
Lance GibbsWest Indies29 September 19345 September 19737 June 1975
Rohan KanhaiWest Indies26 December 19355 September 197321 June 1975
Bob SimpsonAustralia3 February 193622 February 197812 April 1978
Garfield SobersWest Indies28 July 19365 September 19735 September 1973
Bill LawryAustralia11 February 19375 January 19715 January 1971
John EdrichEngland21 June 19375 January 19719 March 1975
Farokh EngineerIndia25 February 193813 July 197414 June 1975
John NagendaEast Africa25 April 19387 June 19757 June 1975
Michael TisseraSri Lanka23 March 19397 June 197514 June 1975
Alan ConnollyAustralia29 June 19395 January 19715 January 1971
Ron HeadleyWest Indies29 June 19397 September 19737 September 1973

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:
  1. Osman Göker of Turkey, currently aged
  2. Cengiz Akyüz of Turkey, currently aged
  3. Serdar Kansoy of Turkey, currently aged
  4. Hasan Alta of Turkey, currently aged
  5. James Moses, currently aged
  6. Sunil Dhaniram, currently aged
  7. Tony Whiteman of Luxembourg, currently aged
  8. Sanath Jayasuriya, currently aged
  9. Sanjayan Thuraisingam, currently aged