Matthew Hayden, Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla among others inducted in ICC Hall of Fame
The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced seven new inductees in the ICC Hall of Fame on Monday, June 9. Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden, legendary South Africa captain Graeme Smith, former batter Hashim Amla and former New Zealand spinner Daniel Vettori were among the seven new names included in the elite list.Hayden was an integral member of the Australian squad which dominated international cricket in the first decade of the 21st century. The opening batter won the 2003 and 2007 World Cup and was the leading run scorer in the 2007 edition with 659 runs from ten innings.advertisementApart from him, Graeme Smith is the most successful captain in the history of Test cricket, having led South Africa to 53 Test victories. He was instrumental in guiding his team to red-ball domination not just at home but in overseas conditions as well.
On the other hand, Hashim Amla is counted amongst the greatest batters of the modern era for his tremendous exploits in both Tests and ODIs. The 42-year-old is the second-highest run scorer for the Proteas in the longest format with 9282 runs at an average of 46.64 with 28 hundreds. In ODIs, he amassed 8113 runs from 181 matches at an average of 49.46 with 27 centuries.He was also the fastest the 3,000, 4,000, 6000 and 7000 runs milestones in the format. Legendary India captain MS Dhoni was also inducted in the elite list for his invaluable contributions to the Indian cricket.advertisementNew Zealand spinner Daniel Vettori was another inductee in the list for his marvellous all-round contributions during his career. Vettori is New Zealand's leading wicket-taker in ODIs with 297 wickets from 273 innings at an average of 31.96. He also sits third on the list of leading wicket-takers in Tests from his nation with 361 scalps from 112 matches.Meanwhile, among women, England's Sarah Taylor and Pakistan's Sana Mir also entered the elite club. Taylor is the second most successful wicketkeeper in women's cricket with 136 dismissals from 116 innings. She's also a three-time World Cup winner and played a pivotal role in her team's 2017 World Cup triumph.Pakistan's Sana Mir became the first woman from her country to enter the list. The off-spinner is the highest wicket-taker for her nation in ODIs with 151 scalps from 120 matches and is the second highest in T20Is with 89 scalps.
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