These are the youngest cricketers to claim Test hat-trick
Claiming a hat-trick is a big deal in cricket. It is also considered to be a great feat in First-Class or Test cricket. The feat becomes even sweeter in case the bowler turns out to be the youngest ever to do so. On the same note, we present the youngest cricketers to have claimed a Test hat-trick.
The controversial South African made his mark
South African pacer Geoff Griffin was controversial for his suspect bowling action and could play just a couple of Tests. However, in his second Test, he became the first South African to claim a Test hat-trick and the first from any nation to do it at Lord's. In the process, he was also the youngest to have done so (21 years and 12 days).
The lion from Punjab rocked it in tiger's den
Harbhajan Singh is undoubtedly one of the most successful Indian spinners so far. It was in 2001 when he was up against Australia at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, as he managed to dismiss Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne in consecutive deliveries. While he became the youngest Indian to do so (20 years and 251 days), he was also the first Indian.
The first Pakistani of the lot
From Pakistan, all-rounder Abdul Razzaq was the youngest to do so. It was in 2000, when against Sri Lanka in Galle, he consecutively dismissed Romesh Kaluwitharana, Rangana Herath and Ravindra Pushpakumara. He was the youngest Pakistani to do so back then (20 years and 202 days) and is also the youngest currently to have done so against Lanka.
A Bangladeshi who was the youngest, until now
As of recently, the one to have held the record since 2003 was a Bangladeshi, in the form of Alok Kapali. Playing against Pakistan in Peshawar, Kapali got rid of Shabbir Ahmed, Danish Kaneria and Umar Gul in consecutive ones. While he was aged just 19 years and 240 days back then, he was also the first from Bangladesh to claim a Test hat-trick.
The youngest of the lot from Pakistan
As for now, Kapali's record was broken on Sunday by a Pakistani, once again. Pacer Naseem Shah, who was up against Bangladesh in the first Test, managed to get rid of Najmul Hossain Shanto, Taijul Islam and Mahmudullah in succession to script the record. Until Sunday, he was aged 16 years and 359 days, to become the youngest of all.
