If you are good enough, you are old enough...

Inspired by the recent discussion of post-30 Test debuts, I thought I would take a deeper look at the numbers.

Over the last 50 years, 713 players aged 23 or under have made their Test debut. The breakdown can be seen below:



Pakistan lead this list by some margin, followed by India and West Indies.

* Graph can be enlarged by clicking on it

Over the same period, 137 players have made their Test debut after their 30th birthday. The breakdown can be seen below:



England have the most post-30 debutantes - almost the same number as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Zimbabwe combined.

* Graph can be enlarged by clicking on it

In order to account for the difference in Test matches played, it is only fair to look at the percentage of players debuting prior to 23 and after the age of 30.



Bangladesh have the highest percentage of players debuting under 23, while England have the lowest percentage at just 27 percent.

When it comes to older players, South Africa lead the way with 14 percent of their debutantes aged 30 or older.

The percentages of Australia, South Africa and England are all very similar. It is perhaps not surprising that the Asian teams give the highest percentage of debuts to those 23 and under.

* Graph can be enlarged by clicking on it

Great continuity of that thread !

I had always thought it was the Asian countries led by Pakistan !

Shabash !

Musthaq , Haniff 's younger brother was like a 15 - 16 year old baby faced

coming to the middle !

Ketch, can you name any of the 13 players over the last 50 years that made their Test debut for West Indies at age 30 or older?

None.....

we could not be as hard up as OZ or England  :-[

It is an extremely underwhelming list. Of the 13, only 3 (Ridley Jacobs, Brendan Nash and Vasbert Drakes) went on to play more than 10 Tests.

The full list of 13:

Ridley Jacobs, Ron Headley, Travis Dowlin, Irvine Shillingford, Dale Richards, Ezra Moseley, Vasbert Drakes, Brendan Nash, Nehemiah Perry, Suruj Ragoonath, Ian Bradshaw, Jack Noreiga and Kenroy Peters.

I would excuse Braddie ....think he was in University studying Accounting and Finance.

Nash ....well he was a victim of an Aussie upbringing !

Dowlin is also excused for being Guyanese.


The rest should be shipped to Siberia :

Shame on black people to Debut in Cricket at over age 30  ;D

where is your © on the Graphics above , dillinger ?

dont trust those Espncricinfo "poachers"