Joanna Child scripted history at the age of 64 when she made her international debut for Portugal during a three-match T20I series against Norway recently. At 64 years and 181 days, Joanna Child became the second-oldest T20I debutant in women’s cricket.
The record for oldest cricketer to make her international debut among women is held by Gibraltar’s Sally Barton, who at the age of 66 years and 334 days old, played her first match against Estonia last year.
Overall, the record for oldest T20I debutant is held by Andrew Brownlee of Falkland Islands. The story of Joanna Child should be an inspiration for upcoming cricketers that age is just a barrier and do not lose hope.
Calling Joanna Child an ‘inspiration’, Portugal captain Sarah Foo-Ryland, aged 44, praised the determination of her teammate and said Child will inspire many cricketers in the country.
Meanwhile, Portugal featured a unique age diversity as two 16-year-olds and a 15-year-old also played alongside Joanna Child. They are Ishreet Cheema (15), and Mariam Waseem and Afsheen Ahmed (both aged 16).
