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Right-arm pacer Tabish Khan has become the oldest Pakistan Test debutant in more than 66 years after being finally handed his cap for the second and final match against Zimbabwe that started today in Harare.

At 36 years and 146 days, Tabish has had to wait a very long time to make his international debut. Hailing from Karachi, he had made his domestic debut back in 2002-03 and has taken a staggering 598 first-class wickets in 137 matches at an average of 24.29. Only Khalid Ibadulla (218 games) played more first-class matches than Tabish has before making his Test debut for Pakistan.

The record for being Pakistan’s oldest Test debutant still belongs to Miran Bakhsh, who was more than a decade older than Tabish is at 47 years and 284 days when he debuted against India at Lahore in 1955. Bakhsh also remains the second-oldest Test debutant ever, only behind James Southerton, who played in the first-ever Test match, for England against Australia at 49 years and 119 days.

For India, Rustomji Jamshedji holds the record at 41 years and 27 days when he debuted against England in the first-ever Test match in India at the Bombay Gymkhana ground in 1933.

After all these years, Tabish will still have to wait a bit more to try and pick up his first Test wicket as Pakistan have chosen to bat first against Zimbabwe. The visitors lead the two-match series 1-0, having won the first Test in Harare by an innings and 116 runs inside three days. 

Although he was part of the squad, Tabish was not picked in the XI for the first Test, as Pakistan chose to go in with seam-bowling all-rounder Faheem Ashraf. For the ongoing Test match, Ashraf has made way for Tabish.

Featured photo: Website / Pakistan Cricket Board

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