Bangladesh's left-arm spinner Enamul Haque jr. became the youngest bowler to take 10 wickets in a Test match on the fourth day of Dhaka Test between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. Haque moved Pakistan's Wasim Akram into second place in the list of youngest 10-wicket haul takers. The record for the youngest bowler to take ten wickets in a match is not one that changes hands frequently.
George Lohmann held it from 1886 until 1929-30 when Bill Voce became the first 20 year old to perform the feat.
Another left hander, Alf Valentine then took the record in 1950 in his first Test. He headed the list for 15 years until Venkataraghavan took 12 wickets at Delhi in 1964-65 before he had even reached his 19th birthday. He held the record until 1984-85 when Wasim Akram got it on his name.
Akram held it for about 20 years before passing on the baton to Enamul Haque jr.
The accompanying table lists the youngest bowlers to take a ten-wicket match haul.
Valentine, Zahid and Hirwani achieved the feat on their Test debut.
Age | Bowler | Figures | For | Vs | Venue | Season |
18 Yrs 43 Days | Enamul Haque jr. | 12-200 | BD | Zim | Dhaka | 2004-05 |
18 Yrs 256 Days | Wasim Akram | 10-128 | Pak | NZ | Dunedin | 1984-85 |
18 Yrs 335 Days | S Venkataraghavan | 12-152 | Ind | NZ | Delhi | 1964-65 |
18 Yrs 338 Days | L Sivaramakrishnan | 12-181 | Ind | Eng | Bombay WS | 1984-85 |
18 Yrs 341 Days | Waqar Younis | 10-106 | Pak | NZ | Lahore [Images] | 1990-91 |
19 Yrs 89 Days | ND Hirwani | 16-136 | Ind | WI | Madras | 1987-88 |
20 Yrs 42 Days | AL Valentine | 11-204 | WI | Eng | Manchester | 1950 |
20 Yrs 46 Days | IK Pathan | 11-96 | Ind | BD | Dhaka | 2004-05 |
20 Yrs 121 Days | Mohammad Zahid | 11-130 | Pak | NZ | Rawalpindi | 1996-97 |
20 Yrs 182 Days | W Voce | 11-149 | Eng | WI | Port-of-Spain | 1929-30 |
20 Yrs 186 Days | C Sharma | 10-188 | Ind | Eng | Birmingham | 1986 |
20 Yrs 255 Days | Harbhajan Singh [Images] | 13-196 | Ind | Aus | Kolkata | 2000-01 |
20 Yrs 258 Days | Danish Kaneria | 12-94 | Pak | BD | Multan | 2001-02 |
Note: Some sources show Venkataraghavan's year of birth as 1945, however we have adhered to details given in BCCI Annual which gives his year of birth as 1946.