At 38, Pakistan’s left-arm spinning all-rounder Asif Afridi finally received his Test cap.
For most cricketers, this is the age when careers near their end — but for Asif Afridi, it’s only just beginning. And his story starts with history. No Pakistani cricketer has made a Test debut at such an advanced age in the last 70 years.
Afridi was part of the squad for the first Test against South Africa but didn’t make the playing XI. On Monday, in Rawalpindi, at 38 years and 299 days old, the left-arm spinner was finally handed his long-awaited Test cap.
It was none other than Shaheen Afridi who presented him with the cap, making Asif the 260th Test cricketer for Pakistan.
Only one player in Pakistan’s history has debuted at an older age — off-spinner Miran Bakhsh, who was 47 years and 284 days old when he made his debut against India in Lahore back in January 1955.
After Miran and Asif, the next on the list is pacer Tabish Khan, who debuted at 36 years and 146 days against Zimbabwe in 2021.
Miran’s career ended after just two Tests, and for Tabish, his debut also turned out to be his last. How far Asif Afridi’s journey goes, only time will tell.
Outside Pakistan, the last instance of such a late debut came in 2018 when Ireland’s Ed Joyce made his Test debut at 39 years and 231 days during Ireland’s maiden Test match.
Joyce had previously represented England in 17 ODIs between 2006 and 2007 before switching allegiance to his homeland, Ireland, in 2011. After Ireland earned Test status, his long-held dream of playing Test cricket finally came true.
The record for the oldest Test debut, however, remains untouchable. England’s James Southerton played the very first Test in history in 1877 at the age of 49 years and 119 days — a record that’s almost certain never to be broken.
