INDIA’S Virender Sehwag, Sri Lankan batsman Aravinda de Silva and pioneering Indian women’s captain Diana Edulji have been inducted into cricket’s Hall of Fame, the game’s governing body said on Monday (13).
They were honoured at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai during the World Cup semi-final between India and New Zealand on Wednesday (15).
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has recognised 109 players in the ICC Cricket Hall Of Fame since its launch in 2009.
De Silva, 58, enjoyed a 19-year international career for Sri Lanka, playing a starring role in their memorable World Cup triumph in 1996.
In 93 Tests, he scored 6,361 runs at an average of 42.97 and collected 9,284 runs from 308 ODIs while taking 106 wickets.
De Silva made his Test debut at Lord’s in 1984, and a year later scored 75 as Sri Lanka recorded its first-ever Test win against India.
In 1991, he struck a then-national record individual score of 267 against New Zealand at Wellington.
Sehwag, 45, played a key part in India’s World Cup winning campaign at home in 2011, and scored over 17,000 runs in international cricket during a stellar 14-year career. He transformed the opener’s role in Test cricket through his trademark explosive approach to batting.
Edulji, who became the first Indian woman to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, played a pioneering role in establishing the most successful domestic team in Indian women’s cricket history.
A right-handed batter and slow left-arm bowler, Edulji took 109 wickets in Test and ODIs.
When Edulji retired after the World Cup in 1993, she had taken more wickets in international cricket than anyone except Australia’s Lyn Fullston.
“These three figures have revolutionised the sport in their own way, and have provided fans with some of the most unforgettable moments in recent memory,” ICC chief executive Geoff Allardice said in a statement.
“Their lasting contributions to cricket mean they are richly deserving of their status in the ICC Hall of Fame.
