Oldest bowler to top ICC Test rankings
Australian team remains at the top in the ICC Test rankings despite losing their latest two matches against India in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023. Prior to the series, Australian players dominated the ICC rankings with Marnus Labuschagne topping the batter’s chart and Pat Cummins in the bowler’s rankings.
Steve Smith also remains second in the batter’s chart while three more Australians are in the top-ten rankings. However, England pacer James Anderson overtook Pat Cummins to claim the top spot. The English ageless swinger became the first oldest bowler to top the ICC Test rankings in the last 87 years.
However, this is not the first time, the veteran-aged bowlers are dominating the ICC Test rankings. So, let’s find out the three oldest bowlers to top the ICC Test rankings.
3) 40y 120d – Lance Gibbs
The legendary West Indies spinner achieved some of the biggest milestones during his remarkable international career from 1958 to 1976. He was the first spinner to take 300 Test wickets and that was at an unbelievable economy rate of 1.98. Gibbs achieved top rankings in the ICC Test bowler’s chart at the age of 40 years and 120 days.
2) 40y 237d – James Anderson
Pat Cummins dominated the Test rankings for four years with extraordinary displays with a ball. He has taken 217 wickets from just 49 Tests at an average of 21.50 but managed to bag only three wickets from the opening two Tests against India, which led to a change as Anderson sits atop the chart now after he took seven wickets against New Zealand in England’s latest Test match. Anderson, at the age of 40 years and 237 days, became the oldest bowler to top the ICC Test rankings since 1936. But he is nowhere near the all-time oldest bowler to top the ICC Test rankings.
1) 44y 130d – Clarrie Grimmett
The oldest bowler to top the ICC Test rankings is former Australian spinner, Clarrie Grimmett. He topped the ICC Test rankings as a bowler at the age of 44 years and 130 days, almost four years older than James Anderson’s current age. He took 216 wickets from 37 Tests at an average of 24.21 and was the first bowler to bag 200 wickets in Tests.
