Longest Test careers: Zimbabwe’s Brendan Taylor breaks 21st century record with comeback in ZIM-NZ Test | Cricket News
Veteran Zimbabwe batter and former captain Brendan Taylor made a successful comeback to international cricket after four years on Thursday as he opened the batting for the hosts at the Queen Sports Club in Bulawayo in the second Test against New Zealand.
Marking his first match since 2021, following which he served a three-and-a-half-year ban the International Cricket Council (ICC) on corruption charges, Taylor broke several records in terms of longevity. Taylor is now the earliest Test debutant among active cricketers, having played his maiden Test against Sri Lanka in Harare.
Appearing in his 35th Test, Taylor surpassed England pace legend James Anderson for the longest Test career (in terms of years) among all cricketers who have debuted in the 21st century. Since 1989, only India legend Sachin Tendulkar has recorded a longer Test career than Taylor, having appeared in 200 Test spanning across 24 years and 1 day.
Longest Test careers
Player
Team
From
To
Span
Comments
Wilfred Rhodes
England
June 1, 1899
April 12, 1930
30 years 315 days
WW1 interruption
Brian Close
England
July 23, 1949
July 13, 1976
Frank Woolley
England
August 9, 1909
August 22, 1934
25 years 13 days
WW1 interruption
George Headley
West Indies
January 11, 1930
January 21, 1954
24 years 10 days
WW2 interruption
Sachin Tendulkar
India
November 15, 1989
November 16, 2013
John Traicos
South Africa/Zimbabwe
February 5, 1970
March 17, 1993
23 years 40 days
Nationality swap after apartheid ban
Jack Hobbs
England
January 1, 1908
August 22, 1930
22 years 233 days
WW1 interruption
George Gunn
England
December 13, 1907
April 12, 1930
22 years 120 days
WW1 interruption
Syd Gregory
Australia
July 21, 1890
August 22, 1912
Freddie Brown
England
July 29, 1931
June 30, 1953
21 years 336 days
WW2 interruption
Dave Nourse
South Africa
October 11, 1902
August 19, 1924
21 years 313 days
WW1 interruption
Zimbabwe
May 6, 2004
August 7, 2025
21 years 93 days
Served ban for corruption
James Anderson
England
May 22, 2003
July 12, 2024
Shivnarine Chanderpaul
West Indies
March 17, 1994
May 3, 2015
Imran Khan
Pakan
June 3, 1971
January 7, 1992
Bob Simpson
Australia
December 23, 1957
May 3, 1978
20 years 131 days
Recalled from retirement
Colin Cowdrey
England
November 26, 1954
February 13, 1975
20 years 79 days
Recalled from retirement
Mushfiqur Rahim
Bangladesh
May 26, 2005
June 28, 2025
Garry Sobers
West Indies
March 30, 1954
April 5, 1974
Mushtaq Mohammad
Pakan
March 26, 1959
March 29, 1979
Opening the batting for the first time since 2005, Taylor regered his first runs with a boundary off New Zealand seamer Jacob Duffy after the hosts opted to bat first.
