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Test cricket is the pinnacle of the sport and those who have played more games than most are among the most valuable players in the game. Here are the most capped men in test history.
Most Capped Test Players in Cricket
1. Sachin Tendulkar (India)
Number of caps: 200
He’s widely considered to be the best batsman in the modern era and Sachin Tendulkar’s list of test match appearances reflects that theory. The man who would become known as the Little Master famously made his debut as a 16 year old in 1989.
By the end of his final game against the West Indies in 2013, Tendulkar had made an incredible 200 test appearances. During his time at the crease he became the dominant player of the 1990s and 2000s and he would eventually retire with 15,921 test runs, more than anyone else.
Tendulkar’s mark of 200 tests is an incredible one and it may never be beaten.
2. Jimmy Anderson (England)
Number of caps: 169
Two England players are the only ones from this list who are still playing at the time of writing in 2022. They will therefore have time to add to their list of test caps but Jimmy Anderson is in the clear by some margin.
At the end of the 2021/22 Ashes series, the England seamer had made 169 appearances at test level since his debut against Zimbabwe back in 2003. That’s a clear indication that he’s been England’s best performer in that time and Anderson has also set a record for the most wickets by a seam bowler in tests.
At the end of his 169th test, he had claimed 640 victims. He had been left out of England’s tour of the West Indies in March 2022 but Anderson still has time to add to that haul of caps and list of wickets.
3. Ricky Ponting (Australia)
Number of caps: 168
Australia have two players in joint third place, both of whom retired after playing 168 tests. Ricky Ponting inherited the captaincy from Steve Waugh and as a captain he would enhance the strength of that team through the first decade of the new millennium.
As a batsman, Ponting was a prolific accumulator who could have played for longer. His final test came in 2012 by which time he had scored 13,378 runs with an average of 51.85 and a best of 257.
4. Steve Waugh (Australia)
Number of caps: 168
Having taken over the Australian captaincy from Allan Border, Steve Waugh would turn his team into the most successful country in the game through the 1990s and 2000s. Having made his debut against India in 1985, he would eventually play 168 tests in a 19-year career.
He wasn’t the most technically gifted of players but Waugh would work hard on his batting to become an obdurate figure at the crease. He became an effective run getter and would score 10,927 runs in tests with an average at just over 51 and best of 200.
5. Jacques Kallis (South Africa)
Number of caps: 166
Many feel that South Africa’s Jacques Kallis was the best all-rounder the game has ever seen and his batting and bowling figures certainly back up that theory. The fact that he was so successful in both disciplines makes his total of 166 tests a remarkable feat.
Kallis made his debut in 1995 and would eventually sign off against India in 2013. He made 13,289 runs and took 292 wickets and he holds the record for most Player of the Match awards with 23 medals.
6. Shivnarine Chanderpaul (West Indies)
Number of caps: 164
Opponents respectfully referred to him as the limpet as Shivnarine Chanderpaul was so hard to dismiss. The left hander had an unconventional technique, facing the bowler side on, but it was certainly effective at international level.
After making his debut for the West Indies against England in 1994, he would eventually retire against the same opponents 21 years later. In that time, ‘Shiv’ played 164 tests to slot in at number six on the overall list. He made 11,867 test runs with an average of 51.37 and a best of 203.
7. Rahul Dravid (India)
Number of caps: 164
Chanderpaul was the ‘limpet’ while India’s Rahul Dravid was known as ‘The Wall’. A solid defence was the key to his longevity and, when he retired from test cricket in 2012, Dravid had also played 164 matches.
On debut against England in 1996, Dravid made 95 from 267 balls batting at number seven. This was a sign of what was to come and he would eventually make 13,288 runs with a highest score of 270.
He was highly respected by opponents and he also led India as a popular and successful captain for a while.
8. Alastair Cook (England)
Number of caps: 161
England’s most prolific test batsman is the eighth ranked player on this global list. Alastair Cook made his debut against India in 2006 and scored a century in the second innings of that game. His final test came in 2018 against the same opponents and, once again, Cook passed three figures.
The man with the nickname ‘Chef’ would set a new England record of 12,472 runs in 161 tests with a best of 294. Arguably, he is the one man on this list who could have gone past Sachin Tendulkar, had he not retired at the age of 34.
9. Allan Border (Australia)
Number of caps: 156
Australia’s Captain Grumpy helped to turn the team from no-hopers into world beaters. He was such a pivotal figure for his country that Allan Border would play 156 tests between his debut in 1979 and his final game against South Africa in 1994.
He was a skipper who led by example and his figures are a testament to that fact. Across those 156 games, Border made 111,74 runs with 27 centuries and a highest score of 205.
10. Stuart Broad (England)
Number of caps: 152
Jimmy Anderson’s strike partner for many years, England’s Stuart Broad is at number ten on the list of most capped test cricketers. The tall left arm seamer was also left out of his team’s tour of the West Indies but he will be looking for another chance to add to his list of 152 test caps.
Across those 152 games, Broad has taken 537 wickets with a best return of 8/15. He also has a test century, having made 169 against Pakistan in 2010.
Who is the Most Capped England Player?
Jimmy Anderson is the most capped player at test level for England. He made his debut against Zimbabwe in 2003 and, at the end of his most recent game against Australia in 2022, the seamer had played 169 tests.
Who is the Most Capped India Player?
The most capped Indian player is Sachin Tendulkar who also holds the world record for test match appearances. The man known as the Little Master played an incredible 200 tests between his debut in 1989 and his final game against the West Indies in 2013.
Who is the Most Capped Australia Player?
The two most capped players in the history of Australian test cricket are Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh. Both men retired after playing 168 test matches for their national team.
They were both influential captains as well as world class batsmen and those are the reasons behind their longevity.
Who is the Most Capped West Indies Player?
The man who slotted in at number six in the overall list is Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who is also the most capped test player in the history of West Indies cricket. Left handed batsman Chanderpaul played 164 test matches between 1994 and 2015.
Who is the Most Capped South Africa Player?
The man with the honour of winning most test caps for South Africa is Jacques Kallis. A man who was capable of turning a match with bat and ball, Kallis played 166 tests between 1995 and 2013.
Who is the Most Capped New Zealand Player?
The most capped New Zealand player in the history of test cricket is Daniel Vettori. Including his official test appearance for the ICC, the left arm spinner played 113 test matches between 1997 and 2014.
Who is the Most Capped Pakistan Player?
Javed Miandad is the most capped test player in the history of Pakistan cricket. A fearsome competitor and a successful captain, Javed Miandad played 124 tests in a career that lasted from 1976 to 1993.
Who is the Most Capped Sri Lanka Player?
Sri Lanka’s most capped player of all time is Mahela Jayawardene. A prolific batsman at a time when his country were a major force, Jayawardene played 149 tests and just missed out on a place in the top ten.
