For the first one-day international against Australia in Harare last week, Zimbabwe included 41-year-old Craig Ervine alongside Brendan Taylor and Sikandar Raza, who are both 40. This was the first time a Test-playing team had included three over-40s in an one-day international – but Zimbabwe went one better in the third match, in Harare on Sunday, when they recalled Graeme Cremer for his first ODI in eight and a half years. He had celebrated his 40th birthday the day before.
Netherlands fielded three over-40s in four of their matches in the 1996 World Cup, while East Africa twice had three in the inaugural men’s tournament in 1975.
Aneurin “Nye” Donald made his debut for England in the first T20I against Sri Lanka last week in Southampton. Donald, who’s now 29, started his county career with his native Glamorgan in 2014, and joined Hampshire in 2019 before moving again to Derbyshire during 2023.
I think the last man to complete this unusual treble was Michael Carberry, who played for Surrey (2001) and Kent (2003) before joining Hampshire in 2006: he won his first Test cap in Bangladesh in 2010. Alex Wharf, now a Test umpire, played for Yorkshire (1994) and Nottinghamshire (1998) before joining Glamorgan in 2000 and playing the first of his 13 ODIs for England in 2004. Not long before that, in December 2002, Gareth Batty made his England debut while a Worcestershire player, following spells with Yorkshire and Surrey (where he later returned).
It doesn’t really count, but Marcus North, the current England selector, played for four different counties – Durham, Lancashire, Derbyshire and Gloucestershire – before making his debut for Australia in 2008-09 (he later played for Hampshire and Glamorgan as well). This is not necessarily a complete list as far as England is concerned, so please let me know if you can find anyone else!
A surprise call-up for Pakistan’s side for the third Test against England at Edgbaston earlier this month, Razaullah followed four wickets in England’s first innings with a rollicking 81 from 63 balls in Pakistan’s second, almost single-handedly turning a likely innings defeat into a potentially tricky chase for England. Razaullah clouted nine sixes, equalling the record for a debutant: New Zealand’s Tim Southee also hit nine during his unbeaten 77 against England in Napier in 2008.
In addition to his efforts against Pakistan Ollie Robinson played one Test against New Zealand earlier in the summer. His seven wickets in that match at Lord’s give him 28 at 9.32 overall during the season. Only two bowlers have taken more in an English summer in which they played exactly four Tests: the West Indian slow left-armer Alf Valentine claimed 33 at 20.42 in 1950, while the England fast bowler Fred Trueman took 29 at 13.31 against India in 1952. Another West Indian, Michael Holding, also took 28 wickets in four Tests in 1976.
Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.