Pakistan’s Asif Afridi becomes oldest bowler to take five wickets on Test debut

Pakistan strengthened their spin attack further by including left-arm spinner Asif Afridi in their XI for the second Test against South Africa. Afridi joined Noman Ali and Sajid Khan in the spin attack, and at 38 years and 299 days, became the second-oldest player to debut for Pakistan.

Like in the first Test, the pitch once again offered assistance to the spinners. Despite half-centuries from Abdullah Shafique (57), Shan Masood (85), and Saud Shakeel (66), Pakistan suffered a dramatic collapse, tumbling from 316/5 to 333 all out, as Keshav Maharaj (7/102) and Simon Harmer (2/75) shared nine wickets between them.

Afridi was introduced as the fourth bowler in Pakistan’s attack. South Africa countered the spin threat effectively for some time, with Tristan Stubbs (76) and Tony de Zorzi (55) taking them to 167/2. However, Afridi broke the stand, trapping both batters leg-before on either side of the dismissals of Dewald Brevis and Kyle Verreynne.

When Afridi trapped Harmer leg-before on the third morning, he became the oldest Test debutant to take a five-wicket haul, surpassing the long-standing record of “Father” Marriott, who was 37 years and 332 days when he took 11 wickets against the West Indies at The Oval in 1933, a feat achieved in his only Test.

Previously, Noman held the record for Pakistan, having taken 5/35 at 34 years and 111 days of age against South Africa in Karachi during the 2020-21 series. Meanwhile, Hines Johnson of the West Indies remains the oldest pacer to claim a five-wicket haul on Test debut.

Meanwhile, George Simpson-Hayward remains the oldest underarm bowler to take a five-wicket haul on Test debut, a record certain never to be broken. He was also the last world-class underarm bowler to play at the Test level.

Oldest debutants to take five-fors in men’s Test cricket