Players to make international comeback after most number of days ft Karun Nair

The road to becoming a famous international cricketer is hard and is often plagued with uncertainties along the way.  While some unfortunate ones don't ever make it to that level, there are a handful of them who immediately throw it away after achieving stardom. But there also exists a rare category of cricketers who fade away from the limelight after making a promising start, only to return to the international scene with a bang. 

Our very own Karun Nair is a living example of what the players have to endure to get back to the grand scheme of things. The triple-centurion had to wait exactly 3006 days to make an international comeback for India in the Test format. But surprisingly, he is not the only one to be on that list. 

In this article, we will identify some of the top players who have the record of making the longest international comebacks in recent cricketing history.

See also: WATCH: Naseer Hussain recalls upon his favourite memory of Virat Kohli in Test match cricket

John Traicos (South Africa & Zimbabwe)

John Traicos holds the record for making the longest international comebacks in professional cricket. Traicos began his professional cricketing career as an off-spinner for South Africa. But following the apartheid ban in the early 1970s, Traicos could not represent South Africa and was forced to look at options elsewhere. His last appearance for South Africa was in March 1970. However, Traicos made an unbelievable return to Test cricket by representing Zimbabwe in October 1992 at age 45. The veteran players waited for as many as 22 years and 222 days to return to the international fold, making him the only Test player to have the longest gap between international cricket appearances.

George Gunn (England)

If we rewind the clock further, we find England's George Gunn in this list, who had to wait 17 years and 316 days to make an international comeback for his side. Gunn was a highly seasoned top-order batter from Nottinghamshire who made his international debut for Australia at Sydney in 1907. He would continue to be in the national setup before getting sidelined in 1912 after the Australian tour. The late legendary batter had to wait till 1929 to be back again in the whites for England. He concluded his career on an illustrious note playing his last match against the West Indies in 1930, where he scored 85 in the first innings and 47 in the second.

Younis Ahmed (Pakistan)

India-born Pakistani cricketer Younis Ahmed comes third in the list. After making a promising debut in 1969, Younis had to wait for 17 years and 111 days to feature for Pakistan again in international cricket. Younis's international career may be quite long in duration, but comprises only six matches (four tests and two ODIs). India and New Zealand are the only two teams he has ever been able to compete against. In 1987, he was given another go during Pakistan's tour to India, where he starred in his first outing and scored 58.

Jaydev Unadkat (India)

The Indian left-arm quick becomes another Indian cricketer after Karun Nair to join this list. He has made one of the longest comebacks in international cricket, returning to Test cricket after a gap of 12 years and 2 days — a total of 4,383 days between his debut and comeback. Unadkat was fortunate enough to make his debut for India at age 19 against South Africa in 2010. Many felt that the young speedster had a promising career ahead. But much to his anguish, Unadkat ran out of luck and eventually fell out of favor. Despite impressive domestic performances over the years, he remained on the fringes of international selection. But in 2022, his luck briefly opened up when he got a chance to represent India in red-ball cricket against Bangladesh.

Gareth Batty (England)

England's Gareth Batty is another cricketer who had to do the hard yards after making a promising start to his career in 2003. Born in Yorkshire, Batty enjoyed an incredible amount of success at the domestic level. But unfortunately, he could not replicate that at the international level. After 11 years and 137 days of waiting, Batty made a remarkable return to the Test side at the age of 39 against Bangladesh in the 2016 Test series. He went on to play his last Test in that very year against India before hanging up his boots once and for all.

Fawad Alam (Pakistan)

Fawad Alam's cricketing journey has had its share of ebbs and flows. During his formative years, Fawad was seen as a very reliable top-order batter who could occasionally bowl spin. Years of neglect by the management, both at the domestic and national levels, rarely allowed him to reach his peak. Fawad made his debut way back in 2009 and contributed brilliantly with the bat, scoring a defiant 168, albeit in a losing cause. Following a string of inconsistent performances, Fawad was sidelined. The left-handed batter had to wait as long as 4,218 days (over 11.5 years) since his previous Test to stage an international comeback, which only materialized in August 2020.

Karun Nair (India)

Although Karun Nair comes last in the list, he is the most talked-about player when it comes to talking about international comebacks. Karun Nair’s return stands as a testament to resilience and perseverance, rekindling his international career on the big stage, even if it's not the absolute record holder. The fact that he achieved this comeback alongside extraordinary domestic performances and sustained grit makes it an inspiring sports story. Karun shot to prominence in only his third Test, scoring an unbeaten 303 against England in 2016. Then, in March 2017, he played his last Test, and from that moment onwards, his career went downhill. But thankfully, on the back of some intense grid in the domestic circuit, Karun was able to make his Test comeback after a staggering 3006 days.