Lists of oldest cricketers

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

Oldest living Test cricketers

File:R.T.Simpson.png

Reg Simpson, England's oldest living Test cricketer, glancing the ball

Name	Country	Date of birth	Debut	Last match	Age as at 29 December 2024
Norman Gordon	South Africa	6 August 1911	24 December 1938	14 March 1939	113 years, 145 days
Lindsay Tuckett	South Africa	6 February 1919	7 June 1947	5 March 1949	105 years, 327 days
Reg Simpson	England	27 February 1920	16 December 1948	25 March 1955	104 years, 306 days
Andy Ganteaume	West Indies	22 January 1921	11 February 1948	16 February 1948	103 years, 342 days
Madhav Mantri	India	1 September 1921	14 December 1951	4 January 1955	103 years, 119 days
Pananmal Punjabi	India	20 September 1921	1 January 1955	1 March 1955	103 years, 100 days
Arthur Morris	Australia	19 January 1922	29 November 1946	11 June 1955	102 years, 345 days
John Watkins	South Africa	10 April 1923	24 December 1949	5 January 1957	101 years, 263 days

Oldest living Test cricketers by country

• Australia: Arthur Morris – 102 years, 345 days
• Bangladesh: Enamul Haque – 58 years, 306 days
• England: Reg Simpson – 104 years, 306 days
• India: Madhav Mantri – 103 years, 119 days
• New Zealand: Trevor Barber – 99 years, 189 days
• Pakistan: Israr Ali – 97 years, 242 days
• South Africa: Norman Gordon – 113 years, 145 days
• Sri Lanka: Somachandra de Silva – 82 years, 201 days
• West Indies: Andy Ganteaume – 103 years, 342 days
• Zimbabwe: John Traicos – 77 years, 226 days

Note: Sixteen first-class cricketers are known to have attained centenarian status, the oldest living being Cyril Perkins (Northamptonshire and Minor Counties), born 4 June 1911 (see relevant section below).

Source:

Oldest Test cricketers still playing at Test level

Name	Country	Date of birth	Debut	Age as at 29 December 2024
Sachin Tendulkar	India	24 April 1973	15 November 1989	51 years, 249 days
Misbah-ul-Haq	Pakistan	28 May 1974	8 March 2001	50 years, 215 days
Shivnarine Chanderpaul	West Indies	16 August 1974	17 May 1994	50 years, 135 days
Chris Martin	New Zealand	10 December 1974	17 November 2000	50 years, 19 days
Jacques Kallis	South Africa	16 October 1975	14 December 1995	49 years, 74 days

Sachin Tendulkar, the oldest current Test cricketer

Oldest Test cricketers still playing at Test level, by country

• Australia: Brad Haddin* – 47 years, 67 days
• Bangladesh: Abdur Razzak* – 42 years, 197 days
• England: Graeme Swann – 45 years, 280 days
• India: Sachin Tendulkar – 51 years, 249 days
• New Zealand: Chris Martin – 50 years, 19 days
• Pakistan: Misbah-ul-Haq – 50 years, 215 days
• South Africa: Jacques Kallis – 49 years, 74 days
• Sri Lanka: Tillakaratne Dilshan – 48 years, 76 days
• West Indies: Shivnarine Chanderpaul – 50 years, 135 days
• Zimbabwe: Ray Price – 48 years, 200 days

Note: The previous record holder, Rahul Dravid (born 11 January 1973), retired from Test cricket on 9 March 2012 at the age of 39 years, 58 days. *Brad Haddin (28 January 2012) and Abdur Razzak (8 August 2011) have not appeared in Tests recently.

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	Living	113 years, 145 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
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
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
Lindsay Tuckett	South Africa	6 February 1919	7 June 1947	9 March 1949	Living	105 years, 327 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.

Source:

Oldest Test debutant

James Southerton, the oldest player on debut

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.

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. 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:

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:

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 (as of 29 December 2024)	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	Rupert de Smidt	Western Province	23 November 1883	3 August 1986	102 years, 253 days	South Africa
4	Edward English	Hampshire	1 January 1864	5 September 1966	102 years, 247 days	England
5	John Wheatley	Canterbury	8 January 1860	19 April 1962	102 years, 101 days	New Zealand
6	Cyril Perkins	Northamptonshire, Minor Counties	4 June 1911	Living	113 years, 208 days	Living in England
7	Ted Martin	Western Australia	30 September 1902	9 June 2004	101 years, 253 days	Australia
8	Norman Gordon	South Africa, Transvaal	6 August 1911	Living	113 years, 145 days	Living in South Africa
9	D. B. Deodhar	Hindus, Maharashtra	14 January 1892	24 August 1993	101 years, 222 days	India
10	George Harman	Dublin University	6 June 1874	14 December 1975	101 years, 191 days	Ireland
11	Fred Gibson	Leicestershire	13 February 1912	Living	112 years, 320 days	Jamaica (living in England)
12	Alan Finlayson	Eastern Province	1 September 1900	28 October 2001	101 years, 57 days	South Africa
13	Neil McCorkell	Hampshire, Players	23 March 1912	28 February 2013	100 years, 342 days	England
14	Charles Braithwaite	English Residents, Players of USA	10 September 1845	15 April 1946	100 years, 217 days	United States
15	Harry Forsyth	Dublin University	18 December 1903	19 July 2004	100 years, 214 days	Ireland
16	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. England Women's cricketer Eileen Whelan (born 30 October 1911) became the first female Test cricketer to attain centenarian status. Lorna Kettels (b. 5 April 1912), who represented Australia in the inaugural Women's Test match in December 1934, has since achieved this distinction.