T20 World Cup 2021: Top 3 oldest cricketers playing in the tournament
The ICC T20 World Cup 2021 is currently under way in the Middle East. 16 teams from across the world, namely Papua New Guinea, Oman, Bangladesh, Scotland, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Netherlands, Namibia, India, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Australia, South Africa, West Indies and England, are part of this mega event.
Initially, India was supposed to host this big tournament. However, just a few months before the start of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021, the tournament was moved to the UAE and Oman.
Selection committees from 16 countries have shown different types of approaches while naming their respective squads for the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. While some nations have prioritized young talents, others have preferred experience over youth.
There are three players aged above 40 playing in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. They are also the oldest cricketers in this competition, and the following are the three names.
3. Mohammad Hafeez - 41 years and 10 days old
Pakistani all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez is the oldest player present in the Asian teams participating in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. The 41-year-old all-rounder played for Pakistan in the inaugural T20 World Cup and is playing for his country in the seventh edition of the mega event as well.
Hafeez did not get a chance to bat in the match against India. He looked good in the game against New Zealand but a brilliant catch by Devon Conway forced Hafeez to return to the dressing room early. Hafeez has been impressive in the bowling unit as well. It will be interesting to see how he performs in the upcoming matches.
2. Ryan ten Doeschate - 41 years and 119 days old
Veteran Dutch all-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate was the oldest player to play in Round 1 of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. The former Kolkata Knight Riders star could not sign off on a high as his team lost all three matches in the opening round.
Ryan ten Doeschate looked out of touch in the match against Ireland. He was out for a golden duck, while he did not bat against Namibia. Surprisingly, ten Doeschate asked the team management to exclude him from the playing XI for the match against Sri Lanka. Soon after the Netherlands' crushing defeat against the Islanders, ten Doeschate retired from cricket.
1. Chris Gayle - 42 years and 36 days
Chris Gayle is the oldest player participating in the 2021 edition of the ICC T20 World Cup. As of October 26, 2021, Gayle is 42 years and 36 days old. The Universe Boss celebrated his 42nd day last month on September 21.
The southpaw has struggled to get going in the T20 World Cup 2021. He was the first batter to score a century in ICC T20 World Cup history. However, in the 2021 T20 World Cup, Gayle has managed only 25 runs in two matches. He also failed to score big in the warm-up match against Pakistan.