England's Test teenagers

Brian Close - 18 years and 149 days, v New Zealand, 1949

So iconic are the images of a grizzled Close taking West Indian bouncers on the chest and hurling himself around at short leg, it is almost impossible to imagine him as a fresh-faced 18-year-old, in his first season at Yorkshire, being drafted in to face New Zealand at Old Trafford. He only played six Tests over the next decade but was surprisingly handed the captaincy in 1966, before an even more dramatic recall to face Michael Holding and company in 1976, aged 45.

Jack Crawford - 19 years and 32 days, v South Africa, 1906

A prodigy who was picked for Surrey at 17, Crawford was England's youngest Test debutant when he played on the 1905-06 tour of South Africa - a record he held for almost half a century. He did the double of 1000 runs and 100 wickets in a season two years running, in 1906 and 1907, but played the last of his 12 Tests on the subsequent Ashes tour, despite being England's leading wicket-taker. After falling out with Surrey in 1909, he emigrated to Australia.

Denis Compton - 19 years and 83 days, v New Zealand, 1937

The "Brylcreem Boy", one of England's most dashing 20th-century sportsmen (he also played football for Arsenal), Compton made 65 on debut and then scored a century in his second Test, against Australia, the following year. His career was interrupted by the war but he went on to score more than 5000 runs and average 50 in his 78 Tests; in 1953, he hit the winning runs at The Oval as England regained the Ashes after a 19-year gap. Has a stand named after him at Lord's.

Ben Hollioake - 19 years and 269 days, v Australia, 1997

One of the game's great lost talents, Hollioake burst on to the international stage as a teenager but only won a handful of caps before dying in a car accident at the age of 24. He thrilled Lord's on ODI debut against Australia, stroking an audacious 63 off 48 balls, before being catapulted into the Test team - he was handed his cap alongside his older brother, Adam - later that summer, during another England Ashes defeat. He played one other Test, against Sri Lanka in 1998.

Ian Peebles - 19 years and 338 days, v South Africa, 1927

The man Hameed is set to bump down to sixth on the list of England's youngest Test players, Peebles was a legspinner good enough to trouble Don Bradman during the 1930 Ashes. Born in Scotland, Peebles had played only four first-class matches when he was picked for the 1927-28 tour of South Africa - primarily as secretary to the captain, though he ended up playing in all four Tests. His legbreak lost its zip, however, and he made his last England appearance aged 23.