Teenage prodigy Naseem Shah has made history after taking two wickets on the final day of the historic Test match at Karachi. The 16-year-old completed his maiden five-wicket haul at the age of only 16 to become the youngest fast bowler to achieve the feat in Test cricket.
Surprisingly, the overall record belongs to his namesake from Pakistan, Nasim-ul-Ghani, a spinner who did it when he was only a few days younger than Shah. He made the record against the West Indies in 1958.
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Naseem Shah is currently 16 years 311 days old whereas Nasim-ul-Ghani made the record when he was 16 years 303 days. The third one on the list is also a Pakistani, Mohammad Amir, who did it against Australia in Melbourne at the age of 17 years and 257 days.
Here are the top 5:
| Player | Age | Bowl | Team | Opposition | Ground | Match Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasim-ul-Ghani | 16y 303d | 5/116 | Pakistan | West Indies | Georgetown | 13 Mar 1958 |
| Naseem Shah | 16y 311d | 5/31 | Pakistan | Sri Lanka | Karachi | 23 Dec 2019 |
| Mohammad Amir | 17y 257d | 5/79 | Pakistan | Australia | Melbourne | 26 Dec 2009 |
| Nayeem Hasan | 17y 355d | 5/61 | Bangladesh | West Indies | Chattogram | 22 Nov 2018 |
| Enamul Haque jnr | 18y 32d | 6/45 | Bangladesh | Zimbabwe | Chattogram | 6 Jan 2005 |
Naseem Shah’s record has now pushed Wasim Akram, who was earlier listed at 10th, out of the top 10 youngest bowlers to take a five-for in Tests. Shahid Afridi’s name is also on the list.
What are your thoughts on the record? Let us know in the comments section.
So I’m confused… was he the youngest or not? You say he was the youngest, and then this other guy was younger?? Was the 1958 game not a test match?
He has become the youngest FAST bowler to claim a five-for, whereas Nasim-ul-Ghani, the overall record holder, was a SPINNER.
It was a Test, as all things in life are a test. It wasn’t a test match though…it was a game. Pakistanis click bait is not click bait, it is like real bait but it’s not test bait…more like a lure. Not allure but still afraid was not as young as Shah, well he was when he was younger but not at the same time.