Ranking the 12 Greatest Brothers to Play Test Cricket

The date of June 2 in 2015 is a special one for the Waugh twins—they are now 50 not out.

Steve and Mark, who is nicknamed Junior as he was the second baby to be born, are used to reaching milestones.

They spent the vast majority of their international cricketing careers playing alongside each other for a hugely successful Australia side.

But, are they the best pair of brothers to appear in the Test arena?

We have combined the records of the best siblings to feature for their countries, then ranked them as pairs.

Only Test statistics count, and both family members must have enjoyed some success to qualify.

For instance, the late Richie Benaud played 63 Tests for Australia, but his younger brother, John, only made three appearances at the highest level.

Dwayne and Darren Bravo, as well as Gary and Peter Kirsten, were not considered as they are half-brothers.

Combined Test runs: 3,654

Combined Test wickets: 502

Obviously, Sir Richard dominates the combined Test statistics for the Hadlee family.

His numbers, though, are simply too good to ignore.

He was the first player in the longest format to reach 400 wickets, and he finished his Test career in 1990 with an astonishing bowling average of 22.29.

However, he also provided plenty of runs in his 86 appearances for New Zealand. There were two Test tons and he was around in a time when the world game was blessed with great all-rounders.

Meanwhile, his older brother, Dayle, played in 26 Tests for the Black Caps.

Though he wasn't able to match his sibling's stunning career, he still picked up 71 wickets before a back injury cut short his international career.

Combined Test runs: 7,558

Combined Test wickets: 80

In writing the player's profile for ESPN Cricinfo, Scyld Berry described Hanif Mohammad as "the first star of Pakistan cricket."

The right-handed batsman made 12 centuries for his country and he still holds the record for playing the longest Test innings in terms of time, having spent 970 minutes at the crease to make 337 against West Indies.

He was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1968 and was one of the initial 55 inductees into the ICC's Hall of Fame.

Younger brother Mushtaq played 57 Tests himself and hit 10 centuries, finishing his career with an average of 39.17.

He also picked up 79 wickets with his leg spin and spent a period of time playing in English county cricket for Northamptonshire.

There were three other Mohammad brothers: Sadiq and Wazir also represented Pakistan, while Raees was once 12th man for his country.

Combined Test runs: 8,251

Combined Test wickets: 25

Andy Flower has to be considered one of Zimbabwe's finest ever batsmen.

The left-hander scored 12 Test centuries and finished with an average of 51.54. He could have scored more runs but cut short his international career after a tumultuous 2003 Cricket World Cup.

He continued to play in first-class action in Australia and England before taking up a coaching position with the latter.

Known as an exceptional player of spin, Andy is still his country's leading run-scorer in Tests.

Younger brother Grant sits second on the list, though his 3,457 runs came at an average of 29.54.

He, like his sibling, hit a double century in his career, while his left-arm spin accounted for 25 batsmen.

He joined Andy at Essex for a period before making an international comeback in one-day cricket in 2010.

Combined Test runs: 2,863

Combined Test wickets: 120

The stats for the Pollock brothers are much lower than the other brothers included in this list, but there are mitigating circumstances for that.

Seam bowler Peter was the eldest of the two, taking 116 wickets in his 28 Test appearances at an average of 24.18.

His debut came in 1961, two years before Graeme made his bow at the tender age of 19. He, however, was a left-handed batsman who would go on to plunder runs at a relentless rate.

He made seven centuries in 23 matches for the Proteas, including a career-best 274 against Australia in Durban in 1970.

Sadly, though, South Africa's expulsion from international cricket cut short his Test career.

Graeme was 26 when he played his last official Test match, an age when he was only just entering his prime.

Peter is, of course, the father of Shaun Pollock, who continued the family tradition by representing South Africa with great distinction.

Combined Test runs: 12,455

Combined Test wickets: 67

Despite boasting impressive figures, Ian and Greg Chappell are the second best pair of brothers to ever play for Australia.

Ian was the first to be capped, making his debut in 1968. He would go on to captain his country in a career that would see him score 14 centuries.

He was involved in the breakaway World Series Cricket as part of Kerry Packer's revolution of the game, though he did return to play for Australia again.

When Ian gave up the captaincy, brother Greg took over.

A right-handed batsman who made an immediate impact with a century on his Test debut, the younger of the two siblings went on to reach three figures on 24 occasions overall.

He finished up with an average of 53.86, his last Test innings seeing him make 182 against Pakistan in Sydney.

There was also a third Chappell brother who represented Australia.

Trevor played in three Tests and 20 one-day games, though he is best remembered for bowling an underarm delivery at the end of a limited-overs clash with New Zealand, at the behest of his skipper, Greg.

Combined Test runs: 18,956

Combined Test wickets: 151

They may be twins, but Steve and Mark were chalk and cheese when it comes to batting styles.

Steve was thrown in at the deep end in 1985, picked in an Australia side that was struggling badly. He did help them win the 1987 Cricket World Cup but was then dropped from the Test XI in 1991.

His place in the side went to someone he knew very well—his brother.

Mark duly hit a century on debut against England, the first of his 20 Test centuries in the middle order.

Steve eventually regained his place and would become settled at No. 6 in the order.

Mark was one of the most stylish players to watch, his superb hand-eye coordination allowing him to play shots that others could only dream of.

In contrast, Steve was an example of someone knowing their own game.

He was stoic and determined in defence, only looking to cut loose when he got a ball in the right area for him to unfurl a drive or cut. He did not get a big stride forward, but then he didn't feel the need to.

His Test career came to an end in 2004, and he retired with an average of 51.06.

Together, the Waughs were strong pillars in an Australia team that dominated world cricket during the late 1990s and early '00s.

All stats used in the feature were from ESPN Cricinfo