Getting a Test debut at 38 years old is unimaginable. However, the Pakistan left-arm spinner, Asif Afridi, has not only earned a debut at that age but also given a record-breaking performance against South Africa in the second Test at Rawalpindi.
At 38 years old and 301 days, Afridi has become the oldest cricketer in the history of the game to take a five-fer on his Test debut. He overhauled the previous record held by New Zealand’s Fen Cresswell. Notably, Cresswell achieved the feat in 1949 when he was aged 34 years and 146 days.
Oldest players to take five-fers in Test debut
- Asif Afridi - 38 years 301 days vs South Africa, Rawalpindi, 2025
- Fen Cresswell - 34 years 146 days vs England, The Oval, 1949
- Nauman Ali - 34 years 111 days vs South Africa, Karachi, 2021
- Clarrie Grimmett - 33 years 64 days vs England, Sydney, 1925
- Bilal Asif - 33 years 13 days vs Australia, Dubai, 2018
Asif Afridi puts Pakistan in the driving seat
Notably, in the first match of the series, Pakistan defeated South Africa by 93 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the series. They are looking to extend their lead and complete a whitewash over the visitors at the Rawalpindi cricket stadium. The management has identified trial by spin to be their best option for this match. This is what induced the change in the XI, where Hasan Ali was excluded and Asif Afridi was given his debut cap.
{{/usCountry}}Notably, in the first match of the series, Pakistan defeated South Africa by 93 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the series. They are looking to extend their lead and complete a whitewash over the visitors at the Rawalpindi cricket stadium. The management has identified trial by spin to be their best option for this match. This is what induced the change in the XI, where Hasan Ali was excluded and Asif Afridi was given his debut cap.
{{/usCountry}}Winning the toss for the match, Pakistan batted first. Led by captain Shan Masood’s resilient 87 runs, Pakistan posted a competitive total of 333 runs on the board before they were bundled out. Kehsav Maharaj led the charge for the visitors with the ball. He picked up seven wickets for 102 runs in his 42.4 overs.
In reply, Tristan Stubbs showed resilience and resistance from South Africa’s part. He scored 76 runs off 205 deliveries, taking the visitors close to Pakistan’s first innings total. However, despite Stubbs’s effort, wickets kept falling at regular intervals from the other end. The prime destructor was Asif Afridi, who picked up the fifth wicket of his spell on the fifth delivery of the 76th innings in the South African innings. As he sent Simon Harmer back to the hut, Afridi broke a 76-year-old record of Test cricket.