Proteas legends inducted into ICC Hall of Fame

The South African

3 days ago

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced seven iconic players in the latest list of additions to the ICC Hall of Fame at a glittering ceremony held at the iconic Abbey Road Studios in London.
Hashim Amla, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Matthew Hayden, Graeme Smith and Daniel Vettori were the five men's players inducted as the class of 2025 with Sana Mir and Sarah Taylor the women's players in the list, taking the list of ICC Hall of Fame inductees to 122.
The seven distinguished cricketers were voted by the ICC Hall of Famers, senior executives and members of the media and inducted during 'A Day with the Legends' event that was watched in different parts of the world as it was telecast live by several of ICC's broadcast partner networks.
Mr Jay Shah, ICC Chairman, said: 'Through the ICC Hall of Fame, we pay tribute to the finest players the game has seen, individuals whose remarkable careers have shaped cricket's legacy and inspired generations.'
'This year, we are privileged to induct seven truly outstanding individuals into this prestigious group. On behalf of the ICC, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to each of them and hope they cherish this well-deserved recognition as a defining moment in their cricketing journey.'
The event also served as a prelude to the ICC World Test Championship Final with captains Temba Bavuma of South Africa and Pat Cummins of Australia looking ahead to the much-awaited match to be played at Lord's from 11-15 June.
The ICC Hall of Fame pays tribute to the extraordinary achievements of cricket legends who have shaped the sport's rich and vibrant history with players inducted only five years after they have played their last international match.
The ICC Hall of Fame was launched in January 2009 as part of the ICC's centenary celebrations. Since then, it has helped celebrate the greatest players ever to have graced the game during its long and illustrious history.
Hashim Amla: 'It is an honour to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame, especially alongside Graeme. The Hall of Fame includes some of the most celebrated players in the history of cricket, all of whom have big achievements. Such recognition feels surreal, and I am really thankful.'
Mahendra Singh Dhoni: 'It is an honour to be named in the ICC Hall of Fame, which recognizes the contributions of cricketers across generations and from all over the world. To have your name remembered alongside such all-time greats is a wonderful feeling. It is something that I will cherish forever.'
Matthew Hayden: 'The ICC Hall of Fame includes many of my heroes of yesteryear as well as contemporaries whom I admired and enjoyed competing against. Each of these players gave something to the game in their own way. It is incredible to be recognized along with them.'
Graeme Smith: 'It feels amazing to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame alongside some legendary cricketers, all of whom have made significant contributions to the game in their own way. This is also a proud moment for South Africa, as two of us have got recognition this year.'
Daniel Vettori: 'Looking at the past inductees of the ICC Hall of Fame, one can see the outstanding talent and contribution they made to the growth and popularity of the game. To gain recognition alongside them is simply overwhelming and I can't find words to describe the feeling.'
Sana Mir: 'From dreaming as a little girl that one day there would even be a women's team in our country to now standing here, inducted among the very legends I idolised long before I ever held a bat or a ball – this is a moment I couldn't have dared to imagine.
'I am incredibly grateful for this honour and hope to give back to the sport in any way I can. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my teammates, coaches and family for all their support over the years.'
Sarah Taylor: 'Being inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame is one of the best moments of my life and truly feels like a dream come true. Women's cricket has been thriving in recent years, and receiving this award during such a significant time makes it even more special. I am grateful to the members of the ICC Hall of Fame selection panel for this recognition.'
Hashim Amla (South Africa)
9,282 runs at 46.64 in 124 Tests
8,113 runs at 49.46 in 181 ODIs
1,277 runs at 33.60 in 44 T20Is
The first South African to score a triple century in Test cricket when he struck an unbeaten 311 against England at The Oval in 2012, he ended as the second-leading run-scorer for his country in the longer form of the game. He led South Africa in 14 Tests, captaining them to victory against Sri Lanka in his first series as permanent captain. He was equally efficient in ODI cricket, where he is still the fastest to reach 6,000 and 7,000 runs.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni (India)
4,876 runs at 38.08 in 90 Tests with 256 catches and 38 stumpings
10,773 runs at 50.57 in 350 ODIs with 321 catches and 123 stumpings
1,617 runs at 37.60 in 98 T20Is with 57 catches and 34 stumpings
Under his leadership, India rose to take the top prize in all formats: winning the inaugural ICC Men's T20 World Cup in 2007, leading the Test rankings for 18 months from December 2009, and finally winning the 50-over World Cup in 2011, when he struck the winning six in the final against Sri Lanka. No-one has captained his country in more international matches, and he was named in the ICC's ODI and T20I Teams of the Decade at the end of 2019.
Matthew Hayden (Australia)
8,625 runs at 50.73 in 103 Tests
6,133 runs at 43.80 in 161 ODIs
308 runs at 51.33 in 9 T20Is
After a slow start to his Test career, which saw him dropped from the Test team for two and a half years, he epitomised the all-conquering Australian side of the 2000s. He set a record for the highest individual score in Test cricket when he struck 380 against Zimbabwe at Perth in 2003 and made three centuries as Australia won ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2007 in the Caribbean.
Graeme Smith (South Africa)
9,265 runs at 48.25 and 8 wickets at 110.62 in 117 Tests
6,899 runs at 37.98 and 18 wickets at 52.83 in ODIs
982 runs at 31.67 in 33 T20Is
He celebrated his appointment to the South African captaincy by striking 259 against England at Lord's – the highest score by an opposition batter at the ground. His physical presence at the top of the order gave reassurance to South African fans, and he became the first player to captain his side in more than a hundred Tests and to more than 50 victories. He captained his country to multiple Test series wins in Australia and won the ICC Test mace in early 2013.
Daniel Vettori (New Zealand)
4,531 runs at 30.00 and 362 wickets at 34.36 in Tests
2,253 runs at 17.33 and 305 wickets at 31.71 in ODIs
205 runs at 12.81 and 38 wickets at 19.68 in T20Is
The youngest man to play Test cricket for New Zealand at his debut, he became an invaluable part of the New Zealand team for a decade and a half, becoming one of just three players to achieve the 4000 run / 300 wicket Test double. He took over as national captain from Stephen Fleming and led the team to the final of ICC Champions Trophy 2009 and two other ICC semi-finals.
Sana Mir (Pakistan)
1,630 runs at 17.91 and 151 wickets at 24.27 in 120 ODIs
802 runs at 14.07 and 89 wickets at 23.42 in 89 T20Is
Sana became Pakistan's captain at 23 and led them for seven years, including winning two Asian Games gold medals in 2010 and 2014. Having enjoyed a 15-year international career, she retired as her country's leading wicket-taker in ODI cricket and second-highest in T20I cricket. Having started out as a pace bowler, a stress fracture forced her to switch to off-spin, and in October 2018 she became the first Pakistan woman to reach the summit of the ICC rankings when she went top of the ODI bowling table.
Sarah Taylor (England)
300 runs at 18.75 with 18 catches and two stumpings in 10 Tests
4,056 runs at 38.26 with 87 catches and 51 stumpings in 126 ODIs
2,177 runs at 29.02 with 23 catches and 51 stumpings in 90 T20Is
A naturally talented wicket-keeper-batter, she burst onto the scene in 2006 and struck a maiden ODI century against Australia at Chennai when just 17 years old. She played a key part in England's World Cup and World T20 double in 2009 and struck 54 and 45 in the semi-final and final respectively as England won the 2017 World Cup on home soil. She set the standard for wicket-keepers around the world, especially standing up to the stumps, specialising in leg-side stumpings and she retired with a then-record 232 dismissals across formats.
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