NEW DELHI: Shakib Al Hasan became the oldest player to represent Bangladesh in Test cricket on Saturday. The 37-year-old all-rounder broke the previous record set by Mohammad Rafique.
Shakib took the field on Day 3 of the first Test against India in Chennai, at 37 years and 181 days old. Rafique was 37 years and 180 days when he last played in 2008.
Shakib has been a key player for Bangladesh for over a decade.His record comes as Bangladesh faced a challenging match situation against India.
At lunch on Day 3, India, 205/3, have extended their lead to 432 runs with Shubman Gill (86*) and Rishabh Pant (82*) in the middle for the hosts.
India had dominated the first innings too, largely thanks to Jasprit Bumrah, who took 4 for 50 and helped bowl Bangladesh out for 149. Despite efforts from players like Shakib (32) and Litton Das (22), Bangladesh struggled to compete with India’s first-innings score of 376.
Notably, Shakib’s achievement pales compared to England’s Wilfred Rhodes, who holds the world record for the oldest Test cricketer, playing his final game at 52 years and 165 days in 1930.