5 Active International Cricketers Who Made Their Debut Before 2004

Playing cricket for a long time is tough; plenty of factors determine the length of one’s career, other than the player’s own performance. There are over 550 cricketers who have played just a solitary game in their international career; India’s Sachin Tendulkar with 664 internationals under his belt is the most capped player.

Pleoethra of aspects are responsible for a player not continuing his career – a dip in form, injuries, physical and mental exhaustion, age, competition for a place in the squad, even a tussle with the captain or the board has resulted in premature ending of careers of some players.

But some manage to overcome all challenges and flourish for more than a decade, some even for more than two decades.

Today we look at 5 players who made their debut even before 2004:

Mohammad Hafeez

Mohammad Hafeez made his ODI and Test debut for Pakistan in 2003 and still is in Pakistan’s setup of T20 cricket; considering his form both with bat and ball, he is likely to feature in the T20 World Cup later this year in the UAE. Hafeez belongs to the old school of batting, where technique and precision are more in focus over power and brawn.

Hafeez, who will be turning 41 in a couple of months, has amassed over 12,000 international runs – the 7th highest run-scorer from Pakistan – and picked over 250 wickets across formats.

Despite his immense records, Hafeez hasn’t really been considered amongst the greats of Pakistan cricket. However, with his all-around offerings, the right-hander is slowly becoming one of the key members of the T20 side late into his career, and, without doubt, has earned the respect of one and all.

Shoaib Malik

With 11755 runs Shoaib Malik is the 8th highest run-scorer from Pakistan in international cricket. That goes alongside 217 wickets across formats. Malik is one of the very few active international cricketers who made their debut in the 20th century; the right-hander started off as a bowler who can bat on his ODI debut in 1999. He later captained the Men In Green to the final of the 2007 T20 World Cup, where they lost to India.

Malik is still not retired from T20 internationals but currently is out of the scheme of Pakistan selectors. His last appearance in a T20I came in September last year and has been overlooked since. With two T20 World Cups in consecutive years, Malik remains hopeful of a recall.

Fidel Edwards

With his ability to hurry the batsman and a rare slingy action, Fidel Edwards was fast-tracked in the West Indies side. After being spotted in the nets by Brian Lara, Edwards was given his Test cap after just one match for Barbados in 2003. He vindicated the call with a five-for on debut. The pacer was handed his ODI cap as well in the same year.

But, Edwards couldn’t convert his immense potential with returns as his career was hit by injuries and he remained inconsistent.?? He last played a Test in 2012, and an ODI in 2009. Overall he has played 105 ODI and Tests combined to bag no more than 225 wickets.

Edwards was recently, earlier this year, given a T20I recall for West Indies’ home season as they look to build a side for the World Cup.

James Anderson

Arguably the greatest pacer – at least statistically – James Anderson has bagged the most number of Test wickets, 617, amongst pacers, and overall fourth behind three spinners. Perhaps the best exponent of swing and seam bowling, Anderson made his ODI debut in 2002 and Test debut the following year.

He also picked 269 ODI wickets but Test cricket was always his forte as even the best of the batsmen succumbed to his wily pace-bowling. Anderson, who recently turned 39, has aged like a fine wine and is probably bowling the best he has ever bowled. He is targetting an Ashes series win in Australia for his swansong.

Chris Gayle

West Indies’ third highest run-scorer in international cricket, Chris Gayle is still going strong in the T20 format, at aged 41. While his prowess as a destroyer in white-ball cricket is well-known, his tally of 7214 Test runs is often forgotten.

‘The Universe Boss’ is made his comeback to West Indies’ T20 side in view of consecutive T20 World Cups. The southpaw made his ODI debut in 1999 and Test debut in 2000 and has been terrorizing bowlers since.

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