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Leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed created history on Saturday, December 17, becoming the youngest man to play Test cricket for England. Ahmed made his debut in the third Test of the three-match series against Pakistan at the National Stadium in Karachi at the age of 18 years and 126 days.
The Nottingham-born leggie broke the previous England record held by Brian Close, who debuted for England against New Zealand in Manchester in 1949 when he was 18 years and 149 days old.
It was a memorable Test debut for Ahmed, who has played only three first-class matches to date, claiming nine wickets. The young leg-spinner sent down 22 overs on his first day in office as a Test cricketer. He picked up two scalps while giving away 89 runs.
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Ahmed first dismissed Saud Shakeel for 23 off 58 balls and then trapped Faheem Ashraf lbw for four. England bowled out Pakistan for 304 on Day 1 as the hosts won the toss and batted first.
In the wake of Ahmed’s historic Test debut, we go down memory lane and listed the youngest Test players from each of the top nations.
Pakistan - Hasan Raza (14 years, 227 days)
Although there has been plenty of controversy over his real age, officially Hasan Raza is the youngest Test player in the history of cricket. On paper, he was only 14 years and 227 days old when he made his Test debut for Pakistan against Zimbabwe in Faisalabad on October 24, 1996.
Batting at No. 5 in his debut Test, Raza scored 27 before being dismissed by Bryan Strang. Despite his obvious talent, he had a stop-start career during which he played only seven Tests, the last of which was against England in Lahore in 2005. He ended his Test career with 235 runs, including two fifties, at an average of 26.11.
In 2018, his name cropped up during a documentary on match-fixing by Al Jazeera. However, Raza denied all allegations leveled against him.
India - Sachin Tendulkar (16 years, 205 days)
The legendary Sachin Tendulkar still holds the record for being the youngest Test cricketer from India. He debuted against Pakistan in Karachi on November 15, 1989, when he was merely 16 years and 205 days old.
Tendulkar struggled in his first innings in Test cricket and was bowled for 15 by Waqar Younis, who was also on his Test debut. He did not get a chance to bat in the second innings. The youngster compiled a hard-fought 59 off 172 balls in the next Test in Faisalabad. The rest, as they say, is history.
The Master Blaster went on to smash most batting records in Tests and ODIs, ending his career as one of the greatest to have ever graced the game. He played exactly 200 Tests, amassing 15921 runs at an average of 53.78. In ODIs, he amassed 18426 in 463 matches.’
Tendulkar remains the only player in the history of the game to have notched up 100 international tons.
West Indies - Derek Sealy (17 years, 122 days)
Former West Indies batter Derek Sealy made his debut against England in Bridgetown on January 11, 1930, at the age of 17 years and 122 days, the youngest-ever Test cricketer at the time.
Batting at No. 5, he impressed with 58 in his debut Test innings, before being dismissed for 15 in the second innings.
Sealy ended up playing only 11 Tests for West Indies, scoring 478 runs at an average of 28.11. His highest of 92 came against England in the Port of Spain in January 1935.
He also scored 91 against the same opponents in Kingston a couple of months later.
Sri Lanka - Sanjeewa Weerasinghe (17 years, 189 days)
Leg-spinner Sanjeewa Weerasinghe became the youngest player to represent Sri Lanka in Tests when he turned out against India in Colombo in September 1985. On the day of his Test debut, he was 17 years and 189 days old.
Sri Lanka went on to win the Test. However, Weerasinghe went wicketless in both innings, although he was economical. The youngster did not play another Test after that and swiftly faded away from the scene.
Australia - Ian Craig (17 years, 239 days)
A prodigious batting talent, Ian Craig became Australia’s youngest Test cricketer when he made his debut against South Africa in Melbourne on February 06, 1953.
He was only 17 years and 239 days old at the time. Craig impressed with 53 and 47, but South Africa won the Test by six wickets.
He also went on to become Australia’s youngest captain, getting the honor of leading the country at the age of 22. However, he struggled for runs and ended up playing only 11 Tests. Craig finished with 358 runs at an average of 19.88. He retired at the age of 26.
New Zealand - Daniel Vettori (18 years, 10 days)
Former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori is also the youngest player to represent the country in Tests. He was 18 years and 10 days old when he made his Test debut for the Kiwis against England in Wellington in February 1997. The youngster managed only two wickets as the Englishmen registered a thumping innings win.
While he had an unimpressive debut, Vettori went on to become one of New Zealand’s greatest bowlers in Tests and ODIs. The former left-arm spinner is second on the list of bowlers with the most Test wickets claimed by a Kiwi - 362 in 113 Tests at an average of 34.36, which included three 10-wicket match hauls. Vettori was also a more than handy batter, who scored over 4500 runs with six hundreds.
He still holds the record for the most ODI wickets picked up by a New Zealander. Vettori played 295 ODIs and took 305 wickets at an average of 31.71 and an economy rate of 4.12. Post-retirement, he remains one of the most respected voices in the game.
South Africa - Paul Adams (18 years, 340 days)
Renowned for his "frog in a blender" action, former South African left-arm wrist spinner Paul Adams is the youngest Test player to represent the Proteas.
He made his Test debut against England in Gqeberha in a Boxing Day Test in 1995 at the age of 18 years and 340 days.
His unique bowling action - head pointing skyward at the moment of delivery - grabbed plenty of limelight. Adams made a successful debut, claiming four wickets, even as the Test ended in a draw. He, however, had a stop-start career, which ended in March 2004, hampered by form and injury issues.
The 45-year-old played 45 Tests, claiming 134 scalps at an average of 32.87. The numbers included four five-fers and one 10-wicket match haul.
Youngest male cricketers to represent other Test-playing nations
Zimbabwe - Hamilton Masakadza (17 years 352 days)
Bangladesh - Mohammad Sharif (15 years 128 days)
Afghanistan - Mujeeb Ur Rahman (17 years 78 days)
Also Read: 3 most successful fast-bowler captains in Test cricket
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