Youngest bowler to take a Test match hat-trick (male)

Naseem Shah (Pakistan, b. 15 February 2003) was six days short of his 17th birthday when he bagged a hat-trick during the First Test against Bangladesh at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Pakistan, on 9 February 2020. Paceman Shah claimed the wickets of middle-order batsmen Najmul Hossain Shanto (lbw after a review), Taijul Islam (lbw) and Mohammad Mahmudullah (caught at first slip) with the fourth, fifth and sixth balls of his eighth over (the 41st of the innings) as Bangladesh subsided from 124 for 2 to 124 for 5 on their way to an innings defeat.

At 16 years 359 days old, Shah was two years 246 days younger than Alok Kapali (Bangladesh, b. 1 January 1984), who took a hat-trick against Pakistan in Peshawar, Pakistan, on 29 August 2003 aged 19 years 240 days. Spinner Kapali, who played just 17 Test matches for Bangladesh between 2002 and 2006, swept away Pakistan tail-enders Shabbir Ahmed, Danish Kaneria and Umar Gul across two overs.

The match in Rawalpindi was Shah’s fourth Test appearance, having made his debut against Australia in Brisbane on 21 November 2019. Shah’s hat-trick, the 45th in Test cricket, was just the fourth-ever by a Pakistan player, and the first since Mohammad Sami ripped through Sri Lanka’s tail on 8 March 2002.