On October 16, the International Cricket Council welcomed three new members into the Hall of Fame. Former captain of England Alastair Cook, former captain of South Africa AB de Villiers, and Indian women cricketer Neetu David, who is the first woman player from India to get included in the list, have also been added to the distinguished bowl of legends.
While Cook, David and De Villiers were the 113 th , 114 th , and 115 th to be inducted respectively. In every class, there is an allocation of the members that are honored and this will be instead at the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 in Dubai. Literary, in addition to the Hall of Fame, this year’s honor roll in a way has been appreciated for the phenomena and influence that they had in the game.
To mark the hundred years of the governing body for cricket, the Hall of Fame was inaugurated in the year 2009. To this end they have created this award for those icons of the game whose greatness has transcended the boundaries of the game.
David’s revolutionary spirit in women’s cricket, Cook’s captaincy and batting brilliance and De Villiers’ explosive batting have motivated different generations. They ensured that the ICC Hall of Fame was one of the most recognizable achievements in the history of cricket and ensured that their legacy would be an inspiration to fans and players long after their playing careers.
“It is a tremendous honour”- AB de Villiers
De Villiers, who had an incredible 14-year career that included over 20,000 international runs in all three formats, rounds out the lineup. In addition to dominating in Test and T20I cricket, the South African was a creative stroke-maker with an eye for the spectacular.
“It is a tremendous honour to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame, joining a select group of cricketers to be recognised in this way,” De Villiers said in a statement.
Alastair Cook and Neetu David also shared their views after the inclusion:
Alastair Cook represented England over 250 times in international cricket, making a significant impact in the longest format. He retired in 2018 as England’s highest Test run scorer and century-maker.
“I am delighted to have been chosen to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame. It is a huge honour to join some of the greatest players to have ever played the game. I have always felt very fortunate to have had the opportunity to play for Essex and England, and so to have this latest honour given to me just makes it all the more special,” Cook said in a statement.
Neetu David, an Indian cricketer, became the first woman to take 100 wickets in one-day internationals and topped the wicket-taking list at the 2005 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, inspiring her country to their first final.
“It is truly an honour to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame, something that I consider to be the highest recognition available to anyone who puts on their national team jersey. This comes after a lifetime of dedication to this great sport, and it caps a very special journey for me to get to this point,” Neetu David said.
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