Cricketers have often had a long national standing career until the advent of T20 cricket. They used to tirelessly play both the formats (Tests and ODI’s) of the game as long as they were dropped or their body could not take it anymore. But post the commercialization of the sport, players have taken the freelance route. There are still a few notable exceptions who are playing all formats of the game endlessly.
StumpsandBails brings to you 5 Cricketers With The Longest Career:
#5 Sachin Tendulkar, India (24 years, 1 day)
If you thought Sachin Tendulkar would be the player with the longest cricketing career then you are surely in for a surprise. But not taking anything away from the little master, who has had a fabulous career across 2 decades. Tendulkar was out 16 years old when he made his debut against Pakistan in 1989. He is the only cricketer in the world to have played 200 Test matches. And to have played the game with such distinction, nothing and no one comes close with whom he can be compared.
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#4 George Headley, West Indies (24 years, 10 days)
George Alphonso Headley was a West Indian cricketer who played 22 Test matches, mostly before the Second World War. If you look at his lifespan as a cricketer it is 24 years but the man just played 22 Tests, meaning less than 1 Test match per year on an average. Headley was considered as one of the best batsmen to have ever played for the West Indies and one of the greatest cricketers of all time.
#3 Frank Woolley, England (25 years, 13 days)
Frank Woolley was known as one of the most technically gifted batsmen of his time. He played for England from 1909-1934. His first and last Test were both against arch-rivals Australia. He played a total of 64 Tests and amassed 3283 runs at an average of 36.1. Woolley scored 5 centuries in his 25 years long cricketing career.
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#2 Dennis Brian Close, England (26 years, 356 days)
Dennis Brian Close played 22 Test matches for England in his nearly 27 long year career. Close scored 887 runs at an average of 25.34. He made his international debut in 1949 while he played his last match in 1976. Close had a fine captaincy record too captaining England 7 times and leading them to 6 wins and drawing one game in the process.
#1 Wilfred Rhodes, England (30 years, 315 days)
Wilfred Rhodes has by far had the longest career in cricket. His career spanned a whopping 3 decades. He represented England from 1899-1930. In the 58 Test matches he played for the 3 Lions, Rhodes picked up 127 wickets and scored 2,325 runs. He was the first English cricketer to achieve the double of 1000 runs and 100 wickets in Test matches.
