Hasan Raza: Youngest Test debutant ever - or was he?

But even a team whose average age is raised by the likes of Wasim Akram (34), Saeed Anwar, Ijaz Ahmed (both 32) and Inzamam-ul-Haq (30), is considerably more youthful than the likely England side.

The England team that took the field against the West Indies for the fifth Test comes in at 30.55.

Even more glaringly, all the principal bowlers are aged between 29 and 31.

The comparison is even more eye-catching when we consider that 18-year-old Imran Nazir, who squeezes into the top ten youngest cricketers in 10th place, having faced Sri Lanka at 17 years, 78 days, is likely to be in the Pakistan team.

There are good reasons for the list of youngsters emanating from the sub-continent (all but three of the top 22 are from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka).

Population

The first, and most contentious, is that in such a large and, in the cities, congested land mass - India will soon overtake China as having the world's largest population - the age of individuals is often of little relevance.

Dates of birth have been known to be recorded as the date a child is registered, sometimes many years after the birth.

Hasan Raza's age when he first played, 14 years, 227 days - by some margin the youngest ever Test player, has been officially rejected by the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Waqar Younis: No idea about his true age

And Waqar Younis (17 years, 364 days - the 22nd youngest Test player) openly admits that he does not know his age.

It seems incredible that Aqib javed (16 years, 189 days on his Test debut) made his first-class debut for Lahore at the age of 12 years, 76 days.

But even if the dates are not accurate, there can be no denying that many Pakistani debutants are young - very young.

Mushtaq Mohammad was still a fresh-faced schoolboy when he was called up to play against the West Indies in March 1959.

As he recalls: "I was absolutely amazed when I was first chosen. We were on our way down from Peshawar to Karachi where we were playing a three-day match against the West Indies when our train stopped in Lahore at eight in the evening.

"One of the organisers came aboard and took me away to join the squad. Then I was even more amazed when after a couple of days I was put in the eleven.

Mushtaq: Told of his Test call-up on a train

"I was too young, very naive. For me it felt like just another game. I was not aware of the pressures involved in playing Test cricket.

"Then again, it might have worked in my favour because I didn't feel the pressure. I had a very good temperament and I stayed in the side from that point."

Significantly, Mushtaq had already been playing first-class cricket for more than two years. On his debut, at 13 years, 41 days, he had showed astonishing maturity to score 87 and take five for 28 with his leg-breaks for Karachi Whites against Hyderabad.

Another reason for the tradition of producing young stars is the confidence - others would call it necessity given the disparate nature of the first-class programme in the country - of plucking from obscurity people who turn up for nets for the national team and impress the coach or captain.

Waqar Younis and Inzamam-ul-Haq are both said to have being in the right place at the right time to thank for their international careers.

When you see a talent you must have the confidence to put him in the team.

Mushtaq Mohammad

Ben Hollioake: Promise still unfulfilled

Ben Hollioake was greeted with excessive fanfare when he became the youngest English Test cricketer since Brian Close (still the youngest ever at 18 years, 149 days) when, at 19, he played against Australia.

Chris Schofield was also nowhere near Test class when he played against Zimbabwe last summer at 21.

And Mark Lathwell's Test career started, and almost certainly ended, as a 21-year-old when he made an unsuccessful start against Australia in 1993. He later admitted that he thought he was not yet ready for the challenge.

Similarly, had he been fit, Steve Harmison would have played last summer as a 21-year-old when there is nothing in the history of the game to suggest that a fast bowler of that age can cut the mustard.

Andrew Flintoff (21 when he played against South Africa) might prove the only exception, if he manages to shake off persistent back problems.

It was not always so. Ian Botham knocked over the Aussies with a five-wicket haul on his debut as a 21-year-old, and had three Test hundreds in his first seven matches.

Precocious

And, at the same age, David Gower was making a precocious start to his England career.

Now the coming of age in England appears to be in the mid-twenties, as typified by Michael Vaughan and Marcus Trescothick, 26 and 24 respectively when they first played Test cricket.

After lengthy, meandering paths to the national side, they alone in recent years have enjoyed early success.

Vettori: New Zealand gave him time to prove himself

The three youngest players from New Zealand, South Africa and Zimbabwe - Daniel Vettori (18 years, 10 days), Paul Adams (18 years, 340 days) and Henry Olonga (18 years, 212 days) have all grown up in their national side and the rewards are now apparent.

Why should the same policy be more successful in Pakistan than England?

As Mushtaq explains: "Because when you see a talent you must have the confidence to put him in the team. If he is good enough then he should be played.

And was he really 15 years old days when he made his debut?

"It is a question you should ask the Pakistani Cricket Board, not me."