Cricketers Born on October 17

Vijay MehraAE
Vijay Mehra

62y / 1963

Wicket-keeper batsman

Alan BrownENG
Alan Brown

90y / 1935

All-rounder

Roy KilnerENG
Roy Kilner

135y / 1890

All-rounder

Barlow CarkeekAU
Barlow Carkeek

147y / 1878

Wicket-keeper batsman

Mark GillespieNZ
Mark Gillespie

46y / 1979

Bowler

Mohammad HafeezPK
Mohammad Hafeez

45y / 1980

All-rounder

Martin DonnellyNZ
Martin Donnelly

108y / 1917

Batsman

Aravinda de SilvaLK
Aravinda de Silva

60y / 1965

All-rounder

Anil KumbleIN
Anil Kumble

55y / 1970

Bowler

Player Info

1917 – Birth of Martin Donnelly

New Zealander Martin Donnelly, a brilliant post-WWII batsman, lit up Lord’s with 206 in the second Test against England in 1949. That completed an unlikely treble: centuries at Lord’s for Gentlemen vs Players, Oxford vs Cambridge, and Dominions vs England. Donnelly scored 2,287 runs on that tour, retired afterward, went into business in Sydney, and also played rugby for England. He passed away in 1999.

1955 – Pakistan vs New Zealand

Pakistan and New Zealand met in Karachi for the first time. Offspinner Zulfiqar Ahmed exploited a matting pitch to take 11 wickets in the match, including both of his career five-wicket hauls. Pakistan’s lower order rescued them from 144/6 to a lead of 125, securing an innings-and-one-run victory.

1965 – Birth of Aravinda de Silva

Sri Lankan legend Aravinda de Silva, born today in Colombo, was known for his charm and strokeplay. Highlights include 112 off 95 balls in the 1995 B&H Cup final, Player of the Match in the 1996 World Cup final (107* and 3/43), and six consecutive Test centuries in Colombo in 1997. He retired after the 2003 World Cup and later joined Sri Lanka’s selection committee.

1970 – Birth of Anil Kumble

Anil Kumble, India’s legendary legspinner, took 619 Test wickets with subtle turn. Highlights: 10/74 vs Pakistan (1998–99), 21 wickets in three matches vs England (1992–93), and 7/?? at Headingley (2002). He reached 400 wickets at Bangalore (2004–05) and scored his first Test century at The Oval (2007) in his 117th match—a record. Kumble became India’s Test captain in 2007, retired in 2008, and became ICC Cricket Committee chairman in 2012.

1979 – Birth of Mark Gillespie

New Zealand medium-pacer Mark Gillespie’s career was injury-plagued. He debuted in Tests in 2007 after Shane Bond’s injury opened a spot, taking 5 wickets. He took 6 more against England in 2008 and returned in 2012 for 11 wickets in two Tests against South Africa.

1980 – Birth of Mohammad Hafeez

Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez, born today, began as an opener and offspinner. He flourished in ODIs in 2010 with three centuries and ten Man-of-the-Match awards. Appointed T20 captain in 2012, he hit a purple patch in 2014–15 with scores of 96, 101*, 197, and 224 across three Tests.

1991 – Richie Richardson’s Captaincy Debut

Richie Richardson led West Indies to a one-wicket win over Pakistan in Sharjah, scoring 106* in his first match as captain. No other batter reached 50, and West Indies achieved victory with 15 balls to spare.

1998 – Mark Taylor Equals Bradman

Mark Taylor equalled Don Bradman’s 334 in Peshawar and declared at 599/4, after a 279-run partnership with Justin Langer. Pakistan replied with 580/9 declared (centuries for Saeed Anwar and Ijaz Ahmed). The match ended in a draw; Australia later won the series.

1999 – Australia’s 16-Test Win Streak Begins

Australia beat Zimbabwe in Harare by ten wickets, beginning a record run of 16 consecutive Test victories. Steve Waugh scored 151* (his 20th Test century), and Ian Healy retired with a then-record 395 dismissals and 366 catches.

2015 – Pakistan vs England, Abu Dhabi

Pakistan’s innings collapse to 173 after Shoaib Malik and Alastair Cook’s double-centuries made the Test tense. England legspinner Adil Rashid took 5/64 following his 0/163 first innings, setting a record for worst bowling figures on debut. England required 99 from 19 overs in fading light.

2015 – Sri Lanka vs West Indies, Galle

Rangana Herath took his fifth ten-wicket haul, with 6/?? and 4/??, giving Sri Lanka an innings win. Big centuries by Dimuth Karunaratne and Dinesh Chandimal dominated, while Jermaine Blackwood’s 92 was the only West Indies highlight.

2016 – Pakistan vs West Indies, Dubai

After Azhar Ali’s triple century and bowling dominance, Pakistan were bowled out for 123 in their second innings. Devendra Bishoo took 8/49, the best figures for a visiting bowler in Asia. West Indies fell 56 runs short, despite Darren Bravo’s 87 and 116 across 13+ hours of batting.

2023 – Netherlands vs South Africa, ODI Upset

In a rain-reduced 43-over match at Dharamsala, Netherlands defeated South Africa by 38 runs. Scott Edwards led a remarkable chase to 245. Van der Merwe and Van Beek combined with the ball to dismiss South Africa for 207, sealing one of the biggest upsets in 50-over cricket history.

Last updated on: October 24, 2025