This is a set of lists of the oldest Test and first-class cricketers.
Oldest living Test cricketers
NameCountryDate of birth DebutLast matchAge as of Neil Harvey Australia 8 October 1928 22 January 1948 20 February 1963 Ian Leggat New Zealand 7 June 1930 1 January 1954 5 January 1954 Chandrakant Patankar India 24 November 1930 28 December 1955 2 January 1956 Gavin Stevens Australia 29 February 1932 21 November 1959 6 February 1960 Micky Stewart England 16 September 1932 21 June 1962 26 January 1964 Cammie Smith West Indies 29 July 1933 9 December 1960 20 February 1962 Tom Dewdney West Indies 23 October 1933 14 May 1955 19 March 1958 Jackie Hendriks West Indies 21 December 1933 16 February 1962 17 June 1969 Nari Contractor India 7 March 1934 2 December 1955 7 March 1962 Willie Rodriguez West Indies 25 June 1934 7 March 1962 19 March 1968
Oldest living Test cricketers by country
CountryPlayerAge as of AfghanistanMohammad NabiAustraliaNeil HarveyBangladeshEnamul HaqueEnglandMicky StewartIndiaChandrakant PatankarIrelandEd JoyceNew ZealandIan LeggatPakistanFazal-ur-RehmanSouth AfricaRichard DumbrillSri LankaLalith KaluperumaWest IndiesCammie SmithZimbabweJohn Traicos
Note: Twenty-seven first-class cricketers are known to have attained centenarian status (see relevant section below).
Source:Cricinfo: Oldest living players
Oldest Test cricketers still playing at Test level
NameCountryDate of birth DebutAge as of Craig Ervine Zimbabwe 19 August 1985 4 August 2011 Brendan Taylor Zimbabwe 6 February 1986 6 May 2004 Sikandar Raza Zimbabwe 24 April 1986 3 September 2013
Oldest Test cricketers still playing at Test level, by country
CountryNameAge as of AfghanistanYamin AhmadzaiAustraliaNathan LyonBangladeshMushfiqur RahimEnglandJoe RootIndiaRavindra JadejaIrelandCraig YoungNew ZealandAjaz PatelPakistanNoman AliSouth AfricaSimon HarmerSri LankaDinesh ChandimalWest IndiesKemar RoachZimbabweCraig Ervine
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
See also Oldest living Test cricketers above. NameCountryDate of birthDebutLast matchDate of deathAge Norman Gordon South Africa 6 August 1911 24 December 1938 14 March 1939 2 September 2014 Eric Tindill New Zealand 18 December 1910 26 June 1937 25 March 1947 1 August 2010 Francis MacKinnon England 9 April 1848 2 January 1879 4 January 1879 27 February 1947 John Watkins South Africa 10 April 1923 24 December 1949 5 January 1957 3 September 2021 Ronald Draper South Africa 24 December 1926 10 February 1950 3 March 1950 25 February 2025 Lindsay Tuckett South Africa 6 February 1919 7 June 1947 9 March 1949 5 September 2016 Donald Smith England 14 June 1923 20 June 1957 27 July 1957 10 January 2021 Jack Kerr New Zealand 28 December 1910 27 June 1931 27 July 1937 27 May 2007 Trevor McMahon New Zealand 8 November 1929 13 October 1955 6 February 1956 12 March 2026 C. D. Gopinath India 1 March 1930 14 March 1951 28 January 1960 9 April 2026 Wazir Mohammad Pakistan 22 December 1929 13 November 1952 18 November 1959 13 October 2025 Wilfred Rhodes England 29 October 1877 1 June 1899 12 April 1930 8 July 1973 Bill Brown Australia 31 July 1912 8 June 1934 29 June 1948 16 March 2008 Lindsay Weir New Zealand 2 June 1908 24 January 1930 17 August 1937 31 October 2003 Everton Weekes West Indies 26 February 1925 21 January 1948 31 March 1958 1 July 2020 Datta Gaekwad India 27 October 1928 5 June 1952 18 January 1961 13 February 2024 Ken Archer Australia 17 January 1928 22 December 1950 5 December 1951 14 April 2023 Andy Ganteaume West Indies 22 January 1921 11 February 1948 16 February 1948 17 February 2016 Sydney Barnes England 19 April 1873 13 December 1901 18 February 1914 26 December 1967 Esmond Kentish West Indies 21 November 1916 27 March 1948 21 January 1954 10 June 2011
Source:Cricinfo: Longest lived playersRediff: Oldest Test cricketers at the time of death
Oldest Test debutants
NameCountryDate of birthDebutAge at debut James Southerton England 16 November 1827 15 March 1877 Miran Bakhsh Pakistan 20 April 1907 29 January 1955 Don Blackie Australia 5 April 1882 14 December 1928 Bert Ironmonger Australia 7 April 1882 30 November 1928 Nelson Betancourt West Indies 4 June 1887 1 February 1930 Rockley Wilson England 25 March 1879 25 February 1921 Rustomji Jamshedji India 18 November 1892 15 December 1933
Oldest Test debutant by country
CountryNameAge at debutAustraliaDon Blackie46 years, 253 daysAfghanistanNoor Ali Zadran35 years, 207 daysBangladeshEnamul Haque35 years, 58 daysEnglandJames SouthertonIndiaRustomji Jamshedji41 years, 27 daysIrelandEd Joyce39 years, 232 daysNew ZealandHerb McGirr38 years, 101 daysPakistanMiran Bakhsh47 years, 284 daysSouth AfricaOmar Henry40 years, 295 daysSri LankaSomachandra de Silva39 years, 251 daysWest IndiesNelson Betancourt42 years, 242 daysZimbabweAndy 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.Cricinfo: Traicos debut
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:BBC Test Match Special, Ask Bearders: "Can you tell me who is the oldest cricket player to make a Test match debut"
Oldest Test cricketers on final appearance
NameCountryDate of birthTest DebutLast matchAge at last Test Wilfred Rhodes England 29 October 1877 1 June 1899 12 April 1930 Bert Ironmonger Australia 7 April 1882 30 November 1928 28 February 1933 WG Grace England 18 July 1848 6 September 1880 3 June 1899 George Gunn England 13 June 1879 13 December 1907 12 April 1930 James Southerton England 16 November 1827 15 March 1877 4 April 1877 Miran Bakhsh Pakistan 20 April 1907 29 January 1955 16 February 1955 Sir Jack Hobbs England 16 December 1882 1 January 1908 22 August 1930 Frank Woolley England 27 May 1887 9 August 1909 22 August 1934 Don Blackie Australia 5 April 1882 14 December 1928 8 February 1929 Bert Strudwick England 28 January 1880 1 January 1910 18 August 1926
Oldest Test cricketers on final appearance by country
CountryNameAgeAustraliaBert Ironmonger50 years, 327 daysBangladeshMushfiqur RahimEnglandWilfred RhodesIndiaVinoo Mankad41 years, 305 daysIrelandEd Joyce39 years, 231 daysNew ZealandJack Alabaster41 years, 247 daysPakistanMiran Bakhsh47 years, 302 daysSouth AfricaDave Nourse45 years, 207 daysSri LankaSomachandra de Silva42 years, 78 daysWest IndiesGeorge Headley44 years, 236 daysZimbabweJohn Traicos45 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:Cricinfo: Oldest players
Longest-lived first-class cricketers
This list includes all those first-class players who are known to have lived to 100.
RankNameTeam(s)Birth dateDeath dateAgeNationality1John MannersHampshire, Combined Services25 September 19147 March 2020105 years, 225 days2Jim HutchinsonDerbyshire29 November 18967 November 2000103 years, 344 days3Syd WardWellington5 August 190731 December 2010103 years, 148 days4Norman GordonSouth Africa, Transvaal6 August 19112 September 2014103 years, 27 days5Rupert de SmidtWestern Province23 November 18833 August 1986102 years, 253 days6Edward EnglishHampshire1 January 18645 September 1966102 years, 247 days7Cyril PerkinsNorthamptonshire, Minor Counties4 June 191121 November 2013102 years, 170 days 8John WheatleyCanterbury8 January 186019 April 1962102 years, 101 days9Archie ScottScotland26 January 19181 November 2019 101 years, 272 days10Ted MartinWestern Australia30 September 19029 June 2004101 years, 253 days11D. B. DeodharHindus, Maharashtra14 January 189224 August 1993101 years, 222 days12George HarmanDublin University6 June 187414 December 1975101 years, 191 days13Fred GibsonLeicestershire13 February 191228 June 2013101 years, 135 days (lived in )14Alan FinlaysonEastern Province1 September 190028 October 2001101 years, 57 days15Neil McCorkellHampshire, Players23 March 191228 February 2013100 years, 342 days16Raghunath ChandorkarBombay21 November 19203 September 2021100 years, 286 days17Geoffrey BeckOxford University16 June 19185 March 2019100 years, 262 days18Harold StapletonNew South Wales7 January 191524 September 2015 100 years, 260 days19Alan BurgessCanterbury1 May 19205 January 2021100 years, 249 days20Rusi CooperParsees, Bombay, Middlesex14 December 192231 July 2023100 years, 229 days21Charles BraithwaiteEnglish Residents, Players of USA10 September 184515 April 1946100 years, 217 days22Harry ForsythDublin University18 December 190319 July 2004100 years, 214 days23Jack LaverTasmania9 March 19173 October 2017100 years, 208 days24Tom PritchardWellington, Warwickshire10 March 191722 August 2017100 years, 165 days25Bernarr NotleyNottinghamshire31 August 191822 January 2019100 years, 144 days26Vasant RaijiBombay, Baroda26 January 192013 June 2020100 years, 139 days27George DeaneHampshire11 December 182826 February 1929100 years, 77 days
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.Cricinfo: Ripe old age Thirteen players have played first-class cricket in their sixties, most of them in England in the 19th century.
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.
Oldest living ODI cricketers The first One-Day International took place on 5 January 1971 when Australia played England.
NameCountryDate of birth DebutLast matchAge as of Lance Gibbs West Indies 29 September 1934 5 September 1973 7 June 1975 Rohan Kanhai West Indies 26 December 1935 5 September 1973 21 June 1975 Bill Lawry Australia 11 February 1937 5 January 1971 5 January 1971 Farokh Engineer India 25 February 1938 13 July 1974 14 June 1975 Michael Tissera Sri Lanka 23 March 1939 7 June 1975 14 June 1975 Alan Connolly Australia 29 June 1939 5 January 1971 5 January 1971 Ron Headley West Indies 29 June 1939 7 September 1973 7 September 1973 Glenroy Sealy Canada 11 June 1940 9 June 1979 16 June 1979 Sir Geoffrey Boycott England 21 October 1940 5 January 1971 20 December 1981 Nasim-ul-Ghani Pakistan 14 May 1941 11 February 1973 11 February 1973
Oldest living Twenty20 International cricketers
The first Twenty20 International took place on 17 February 2005 when Australia played New Zealand.