Kraigg Brathwaite Breaks Gary Sobers’ 52-Year-Old Record

West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite etched his name in the history of West Indies cricket during the second Test against Bangladesh at Sabina Park, Jamaica. By stepping out for the toss, Brathwaite achieved a milestone that had stood for decades: he became the West Indies player with the most consecutive Test appearances, featuring in 86 straight matches since his debut on June 16, 2014.

The previous record of 85 consecutive Tests for the West Indies was held by the legendary Sir Garfield Sobers, who achieved the feat between 1955 and 1972. Brathwaite equaled Sobers’ record during the first Test against Bangladesh and surpassed it in the second.

West Indies' Record for Consecutive Test Appearances:

Kraigg Brathwaite – 86*
Garfield Sobers – 85
Desmond Haynes – 72
Brian Lara – 64
Rohan Kanhai – 61

Among active cricketers, Australia’s Nathan Lyon holds the record for the most consecutive Tests played, featuring in 100 matches from 2013 to 2023. New Zealand’s Tom Latham shares Brathwaite’s tally, having also played 86 consecutive Tests.

However, the all-time record for most consecutive Test appearances belongs to former England captain Alastair Cook, who played 159 Tests consecutively between 2006 and 2018. Cook broke the previous record of 153 Tests set by former Australian captain Allan Border (1979–1994).

Other players to have played 100 or more consecutive Tests include Mark Waugh (107), Sunil Gavaskar (106), Brendon McCullum (101), and Nathan Lyon (100).

World Record for Most Consecutive Test Appearances:

Alastair Cook (England) – 159
Allan Border (Australia) – 153
Mark Waugh (Australia) – 107
Sunil Gavaskar (India) – 106
Brendon McCullum (New Zealand) – 101