Jacques Kallis,Lisa Sthalekar And Zaheer Abbas Are The Latest Inductees:
Jacques Kallis, Lisa Sthalekar and Zaheer Abbas have been the most recent inductees into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. The 2020 class was officially opened on Sunday (August 23) through an online ceremony on the ICC portal.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest cricketers in the game, Kallis is the only cricketer to have accomplished a double of 10000 runs and 200 wickets in both Tests and ODIs. Together, Kallis scored more than 25,000 runs and picked up nearly 600 wickets in international cricket. He is also one of the three non-wicket keepers who took more than 200 traps in Test cricket.
Kallis made his debut for South Africa in 1995 in a test match against England in Durban and ended his test career at the same venue 18 years later, bowing to his 45th test century. His last international game was an ODI in 2014 against Sri Lanka in Hambantota.
“It’s something I never expected when I started playing,” Kallis said on the occasion. “I definitely didn’t play the game for any accolades or something like that, I just wanted to win the games for whoever I was playing for. “But it’s nice to be remembered when one succeeds in sport, it’s nice to be appreciated by people for what you’ve done in the game, something I’m very proud of.”
Sthalekar, the first woman to win a double of 1000 runs and 100 wickets in ODIs, won the 50-plus World Cup and the T20 World Cup twice with Australia. She made her debut for Australia in 2001 against England, her last international appearance being the 2013 World Cup final against the West Indies in Mumbai. Overall, she played 187 games across formats and scored almost 4000 runs while taking more than 200 wickets.
“I am profoundly humbled to receive this distinction. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would ever be able to join such an elite group of players,” said the former Australian. “I was lucky enough to learn from the best when I joined the Australian team-Belinda Clark, Karen Rolton and Cathryn Fitzpatrick, all of whom were inducted into the Hall of Fame, and rightly so. The guidance from them and other teammates along the way kept me focused but also made it a fun environment. Thanks to all of my teammates. It goes without saying that if it weren’t for the love of my family, I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish what I have.
Abbas, Pakistan and the legend of Gloucestershire were the colossus of the game. It was his gargantuan ability to fly, that we were affectionately called ‘Asian Bradman.’ During Pakistan’s 1971 tour of England, Abbas made his name with a brilliant 274 at Edgbaston. Runs continued to fly unabated afterwards.
His timing was the secret to Abbas ‘s unparalleled ability to score. His deliberate use of the hands, coupled with his ability to crack the distance precisely, led to his wizardry. Abbas ended with an total of 45 test runs of 5062. He made 12 hundred tests, half of which came against the Indian arch-rivals. He remains one of the benchmarks for success in first-class cricket, ending with a phenomenal 34843 runs at 51.54 and a record 108 centuries.
“I feel honoured and deeply humbled to be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame of the 2020 batch. I am honored to be in the midst of such outstanding cricketers.
“I would like to say a huge thank you to my family, my country Pakistan, my county Gloucestershire and many fans all over the world who have helped me to make my dreams come true by playing this wonderful game at the highest level. Thank you, ICC, and the members of the jury for this unique honor. It’s a perfect reward for any cricketer.
“This great game has made me the person I am. Thank you cricket.”
