The hardest level of cricket is played at the Test level. It’s quite difficult to perform well in test cricket when you’re young. In Test cricket, bowling requires accuracy, talent, and extreme physical fitness. While certain players in test cricket took a while to record their first five-wicket haul, others accomplished it at a very young age in the very early phases of their careers. In this blog, we’ll discuss the Youngest Players to Take a Five-Wicket Haul in Test Cricket.
Youngest Players to Take Five-Wicket Haul in Test
Nasim-ul-Ghani (16y 303d)
The first player on our list is the former cricket player from Pakistan, Nasim-ul-Ghani. In 1958, he participated in his maiden Test match against the West Indies. He became the youngest player to ever take five wickets in a Test match in cricket history at the age of just 16 years and 303 days. During that game, which was held at Georgetown’s Bourda Oval, he claimed five wickets for 116 runs in the second inning. Nasim-ul-Ghani’s outstanding performance was a highlight, even though Pakistan lost the match. He became the youngest player in test cricket history to capture five wickets.
Naseem Shah (16y 307d)
Another Pakistani player named Naseem Shah was the next to be highlighted. In November 2019, he played his first test match against Australia. He played against Sri Lanka in December of that year and claimed five wickets. He became the second-youngest player to ever accomplish the feat in Test cricket history at the age of just 16 years and 307 days. Since then, he has played a significant role in every format of the game for Pakistan’s fast bowling unit and has shown excellent performance on the global stage.
Mohammad Amir (17y 257d)
One of the best fast bowlers in cricket history, Muhammad Amir, is ranked third on the list. In July 2009, he participated in his debut test match against Sri Lanka. He received his maiden fifer in a Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against Australia in December of that same year. At the age of just 17 years and 257 days, he became the third-youngest player in history to accomplish this feat. In the first inning of the game, he claimed five wickets for 79 runs. Despite Pakistan’s 170-run defeat in the match, Amir’s outstanding performance was praised globally.
Enamul Haque Jnr (18y 32d)
Despite playing in just 15 Test matches throughout his career, Enamul Haque Jr. left a lasting impression. In 2005, he accomplished an incredible accomplishment at the age of eighteen and thirty-two days, capturing six wickets for forty-five runs against Zimbabwe in Chittagong. An important factor in Bangladesh’s historic first-ever Test victory was this performance. Enamul was the game’s most impressive player and was named Man-of-the-Match for his incredible effort on the last day, which sealed the thrilling victory. He put his name on the exclusive list of young bowlers to take five wickets in a test match at that point.
Daniel Vettori (18y 46d)
Daniel Vettori was a gifted left-arm spinner who displayed his skill at an early age. In 1997, at the tender age of eighteen years and forty-six days, he claimed five wickets for 86 runs against Sri Lanka. New Zealand’s Hamilton hosted the game. Sri Lanka needed to score 326 runs to win on a challenging pitch. Yet, Vettori’s outstanding bowling contributed to New Zealand’s 120-run victory. He became instantly famous as a result. Vettori claimed 362 wickets in Test matches during his career.
Rehan Ahmed (18y 126d)
After just four first-class matches for Leicestershire, Rehan Ahmed—who gained notoriety for his outstanding performance at the U-19 World Cup—made his debut in Test cricket. He demonstrated his talent by getting significant wickets in both innings of a Test match against Pakistan. He made up for his early accuracy problems by going 5/48 in the second inning, which helped Pakistan’s middle-order collapse.
Pat Cummins (18y 193d)
Ever since he played his first Test match in 2011, Australian skipper Pat Cummins has gained recognition as a brilliant player. In their native nation, he took on a formidable South African side, but he proved himself in his first game. He had good bowling stats and removed Hashim Amla in the first inning. He bowled incredibly effectively in the second inning, getting important wickets from AB de Villiers, Jacques Rudolph, and Jacques Kallis. He became the youngest Australian player to take five wickets in a test match with his first five-wicket haul.
Shahid Afridi (18y 235d)
The legendary Pakistani all-rounder Shahid Afridi debuted in a Test match against Australia in Karachi in 1998. He showed off his skill in that game by taking five wickets in the opening over, but he was unsuccessful in getting any wickets in the second innings. Despite this, Afridi’s potent bowling was instrumental in Pakistan obtaining a draw in the Test match; these incredible numbers cemented his legacy.
Wasim Akram (18y 251d)
We’ve included the former Pakistani captain and left-arm fast bowler as one of the youngest players to take five wickets in test cricket. At the age of eighteen years and 251 days, he claimed his first five-wicket haul. On February 9, 1985, at Dunedin, he recorded outstanding bowling figures of 5 for 56 against New Zealand. He helped the Pakistani team defeat the Blackcaps with his outstanding bowling display, and from that point on in his career, he never looked back, becoming the greatest left-arm fast bowler to have ever played cricket. With 414 wickets in 104 test matches for Pakistan, he concluded his career as a test player.
Nayeem Hasan (18y 283d)
There were a lot of thrilling moments in the opening game of the West Indies tour of Bangladesh in Chittagong. The young off-spinner from Bangladesh, who was only eighteen years and 283 days old, performed remarkably well despite several challenges. On a pitch that is quite helpful to spin bowlers, he got five wickets for 61 runs. In this first encounter, he achieved the distinction of being among the youngest players to ever take five wickets in a test match.
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