Cricketers with Longest Careers in Tests (Ranked 25 to 1)

Fred Titmus

Former English cricketer Fred Titmus occupies the 25th spot on this list with the longest Test careers internationally, with Titmus' career having spanned 19 years and 221 days, during which he played 53 matches for the Three Lions. Titmus is in fact among the first players to score 20,000 runs and take 250 wickets in first-class cricket.

Warwick Armstrong

Australian great Warwick Armstrong played for the national Test side from 1902 to 1921, in a career that spanned 19 years and 227 days. He featured in 50 Test matches for Australia, and even captained the side between 1920 and 1921, enjoying a undefeated streak in the ten matches that he led the team in, winning eights and drawing two.

Don Bradman

Widely regarded as the greatest cricketer of all time, Australian legend Don Bradman had an established career with his national Test side that spanned 19 years and 262 days from 1928 to 1948, during which he played 52 matches. Bradman's career Test batting average of 99.94 is considered as the greatest achievement by a batter in cricket history.

Bruce Mitchell

Former South African batter Bruce Mitchell played in all the 42 Test matches that the Proteas played in from 1929 to 1949, with his own career spanning 19 years and 267 days. By the end of his career, he has accumulated 3,471 runs at an average of 48.88, hitting eight hundreds and 21 fifties, which was a national record at the time.

Herbie Taylor

Another South African cricketer to occupy a spot on this list, Herbie Taylor also played 42 Test matches for the Proteas from 1912 to 1932. His 19 years 279 days-long career with the South African Test team resulted in him becoming the first player from the country to score over 2,500 runs in the longest format, internationally.

Mushtaq Mohammad

One of the most successful all-rounders of all time, Pakistan's Mushtaq Mohammad captained the Men in Green in 19 Test matches, with his career spanning a record 20 years and three days, from 1959 to 1979. He is the only Pakistani player to score a century and take five wickets in an innings in the same Test match twice, a unique achievement.

Gary Sobers

An aggressive bowler, versatile bowler and an equally exceptional fielder, Sir Garfield Sober remains one of the greatest all-rounders to have ever stepped onto the pitch. The West Indies legend had a Test career spanning 20 years six days, during which he played 93 Tests, scoring over 8,000 runs and taking 235 wickets.

Mushfiqur Rahim

The only Bangladeshi player to feature on this elite list, Mushfiqur Rahim is the country's all-time highest run-getter across all three formats, internationally. Rahim has played for the Bangladeshi Test side from 2005, with his career spanning 20 years and 33 days, and the 38-year-old is still going strong.

Colin Cowdrey

Former England international Colin Cowdrey played for the Three Lions from 1954 to 1975, with his Test career spanning 20 years and 70 days. During this time, he featured in 114 Test matches, scoring over 7,000 runs, and is also among the very few players to score over 40,000 runs in first-class cricket.

Bob Simpson

A former Australian cricketing great, who later went on to become the head coach of the national side that won the 1987 World Cup, Bob Simpson has a Test career spanning 20 years and 131 days, from 1957 to 1978. He interestingly returned ten years after having retired from playing international cricket, to captain Australia at the age of 41.

Imran Khan

Pakistan's greatest all-rounder and 1992 World Cup-winning captain Imran Khan had a tremendously successful Test career that spanned 20 years and 218 days, from 1971 to 1992. Apart from holding the all-rounder's triple of 3,000 runs and 300 wickets in Test cricket, Khan also holds the record for most wickets as captain in the longest format.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul

West Indies' batting great and the ninth highest run-getter of all time in Test cricket, Shivnarine Chanderpaul had a red-ball career that spanned 21 years and 47 days, making him only the second player from the Carribean on this list. A distinguished batter with a unique stance, Chanderpaul scored over 11,000 runs in the longest format in 164 matches.

James Anderson

Another record holder, Englishman James Anderson only retired from playing in 2024, after a distinguished Test career that spanned 21 years and 51 days, having made his debut back in 2002. Anderson played a total of 188 Test matches in the process, taking 704 wickets, the most by any fast bowler in the longest format of the game.

Brendan Taylor

Former Zimbabwean international Brendan Taylor is one of the country's longest serving players, having represented the African nation in four ICC T20 World Cups and three ODI World Cups. Taylor played 35 Test matches for Zimbabwe, with a career that spanned 21 years and 95 days, from his first Test in 2004 to his last Test in 2025.

Dave Nourse

Former South African cricketer Arthur 'Dave' Nourse had a Test career spanning 21 years and 313 days, during which he featured in 45 Test matches for the Proteas. Nourse played from 1902 to 1924, scoring over 2,000 runs and taking 41 wickets in the longest format, while also having a highly-successful first-class career.

Freddie Brown

The 10th spot on this list is occupied by former English cricketer Freddie Brown, who played as an all-rounder for the Three Lions Test side from 1931 to 1953. His red-ball career lasted 21 years and 336 days, during which he only played 22 matches, scoring 734 runs and taking 45 wickets, and was one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year at the time.

Syd Gregory

At the time of his retirement, Sydney Gregory had played a world-record of 58 matches for the Australian national team during a career that spanned from 1890 to 1912. A remarkable batter, Syd Gregory's career lasted 22 years and 32 days, and was among the batch of first cricketers to have risen to fame.

George Gunn

Nottinghamshire's all-time highest run-getter in County cricket history, Englishman George Gunn played 15 Test matches for the Three Lions between 1907 and 1930. Despite having played so few matches throughout his career, Gunn had a Test career that lasted 22 years and 120 days, and was even named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1914.

Jack Hobbs

Widely regarded as one of the greatest batters of all time and also known as 'The Master', former England legend Jack Hobbs played for the Three Lions between 1908 and 1930, in a career that spanned 22 years and 233 days. He remains the leading run-getter and century-hitter in first-class cricket till date, with 61,760 runs and 199 hundreds.

John Tracois

Having represented two different national teams throughout his career, John Tracois played Test cricket from 1970 to 1993, with his career spanning 23 years and 40 days. He first played for South Africa in 1970, followed by a decade-long stint in Zimbabwe, but could only make seven appearances in the longest formats, internationally.

Sachin Tendulkar

Dubbed as the 'God of Cricket' in India, Sachin Tendulkar is widely considered as one of the greatest batters of all-time, and holds the record for the most runs in international cricket history. Tendulkar made his Test debut in 1989 at the age of 16, going on to have an impressive Test career spanning 24 years and a day, where he played 200 matches.

George Headley

George Headley once carried the West Indies Test team on his shoulders, having played 22 Test matches from 1930 to 1954. Headley's Test career spanned 24 years and ten days, during which he scored 2,190 runs at an average of 60.83, hitting ten centuries and five fifties, and was also chosen as the Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1934.

Frank Woolley

Once regarded for his exceptional fielding abilities, former England cricketer Frank Woolley played 64 Test matches for the Three Lions from 1909 to 1934, in a career that spanned 25 years and 13 days. An all-rounder, Woolley scored over 3,200 runs and took 83 wickets in Test cricket, while also scoring over 58,000 runs in first-class cricket.

Brian Close

The second place on this list is occupied by former English international Brian Close, who had a Test career that spanned 26 years and 356 days, from 1949 to 1976. Close played 22 Test matches during the period, and is often regarded for having helped cricketing greats Viv Richards and Ian Botham to become successful players.

Wilfred Rhodes

The top spot on this list is occupied by former England all-rounder Wilfred Rhodes, who played 58 Test matches for the Three Lions between 1899 and 1930, in a career spanning 30 years and 315 days. He interestingly played his last Test match in 1930, at the age of 52 years and 165 days, the oldest player to have appeared in a match in the longest format.