Brendan Taylor, the Zimbabwe cricketer who debuted in 2004 against Sri Lanka, has marked his return to Test cricket after serving a three-and-a-half-year ban by the ICC on corruption charges. His comeback in the second Test against New Zealand has positioned him with the 12th-longest career in Test cricket history, spanning 21 years and 93 days as of the first day of the match. The ICC ban on Taylor stemmed from a delayed reporting of a bookie approach. While he did eventually report the incident to the ICC, the timing of his report led to the suspension. Wilfred Rhodes holds the record for the longest Test career, spanning 30 years and 315 days, from June 1, 1899, to April 12, 1930. Rhodes achieved the remarkable feat of playing Test cricket across five calendar decades, from the 1890s through the 1930s.Longest men’s Test careers by time elapsed:
| Player | Team(s) | Test Debut | Last Test | Career Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilfred Rhodes | England | June 1, 1899 | April 12, 1930 | 30 years 315 days |
| Brian Close | England | July 23, 1949 | July 13, 1976 | 26 years 356 days |
| Frank Woolley | England | August 9, 1909 | August 22, 1934 | 25 years 13 days |
| George Headley | West Indies | January 11, 1930 | January 21, 1954 | 24 years 10 days |
| Sachin Tendulkar | India | November 15, 1989 | November 16, 2013 | 24 years 1 day |
| John Traicos | South Africa ➝ Zimbabwe | February 5, 1970 | March 17, 1993 | 23 years 40 days |
| Jack Hobbs | England | January 1, 1908 | August 22, 1930 | 22 years 233 days |
| George Gunn | England | December 13, 1907 | April 12, 1930 | 22 years 120 days |
| Syd Gregory | Australia | July 21, 1890 | August 22, 1912 | 22 years 32 days |
| Freddie Brown | England | July 29, 1931 | June 30, 1953 | 21 years 336 days |
| Dave Nourse | South Africa | October 11, 1902 | August 19, 1924 | 21 years 313 days |
| Brendan Taylor | Zimbabwe | May 6, 2004 | August 7, 2025 | 21 years 93 days |
| James Anderson | England | May 22, 2003 | July 12, 2024 | 21 years 51 days |
| Shivnarine Chanderpaul | West Indies | March 17, 1994 | May 3, 2015 | 21 years 47 days |
Brian Close follows with the second-longest career of 26 years and 356 days, representing England from July 23, 1949, to July 13, 1976. Frank Woolley holds the third position with a career spanning 25 years and 13 days.
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The legendary Sachin Tendulkar is fifth on the list. His career also lasted more than 24 years, having made his debut on November 15, 1989, and playing his final match on November 16, 2013. With this achievement, Taylor has gone past cricketers like James Anderson and Shivnarine Chanderpaul.