Who was the last England player to make a Test debut? Ajmal Shahzad, against Bangladesh in June 2010, and he hasn't played his second match yet. The Lord's Test against India was England's 13th consecutive game without a debutant since Shahzad's appearance, beating their previous longest streak of 12, between 1974 and 1975. It's only the second time England have played more than 10 successive Tests without a debutant, and if they continue the streak for the remainder of the Pataudi Trophy, they'll move up to joint third on the list. This week's column is about teams who played the most consecutive matches without a debutant.
Had Steve Waugh not injured his calf during the chase at Trent Bridge in 2001, and consequently missed the fourth Ashes Test at Headingley, Australia would have played 32 consecutive Tests between 2000 and 2002 without handing out a new baggy green. Waugh, however, had to miss out and Simon Katich made his debut in Leeds - where Mark Butcher pulled off a terrific run-chase - after Australia had played 15 Tests without a debutant. The previous one had been Brett Lee, in the 1999 Boxing Day Test against India. Waugh returned for the fifth Test, at The Oval, though, the start of a 16-match streak without a debut. Their next debutant was Martin Love, a batsman who lasted only five Tests, while Katich didn't reappear in the Test side until October 2003.
Paul Harris, the South African spinner, made his debut in the New Year's Test against India at Newlands in 2007. South Africa's next debutant was JP Duminy at the WACA in December 2008. Between those two matches, Graeme Smith's team played 21 Tests without a debutant, which is the longest such streak. Around that time, India were building a debutant-less streak of their own, of 17 Tests after Ishant Sharma made his debut in May 2007. That run ended in October 2008, when Amit Mishra made his debut against Australia in Mohali.
In one-day internationals Australia have the three longest streaks of matches without debutants, and all of them involve World Cup years. In 1989, Australia gave ODI debuts to Mark Taylor and Greg Campbell, Ricky Ponting's uncle, against Sri Lanka at the MCG, after which they played 40 matches without a debutant. They broke that run after qualifying for the 1991-92 World Series finals, resting Dean Jones and giving Paul Reiffel his first cap against India at the SCG.
Australia came within three ODIs of equalling that after Andrew Symonds' debut against Pakistan in Lahore in 1999. They played 37 matches on the trot without a debutant before giving Brett Lee his first ODI cap, at the Gabba in January 2000, also against Pakistan. Between January 2003 and February 2004, Australia also played 38 consecutive ODIs between the debuts of Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey.
India are presently on their longest streak of ODIs without a debutant - 23 matches. They haven't had one since Wriddhiman Saha against New Zealand in November 2010.
Pakistan have played the most consecutive Twenty20 internationals without a debutant - 12 matches between Mohammad Sami's debut in May 2010 and Asad Shafiq's in December the same year.
England have played the most consecutive Tests with a debutant - 13, between 1920 and 1923.
Bangladesh have played the most consecutive ODIs with a debutant - nine, between 1990 and 1997.