ICC launches ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in association with FICA
Key part of ICC centenary celebrations Partnership with FICA to honour and recognise game’s greatest achievers Selection process to involve as many of game’s stakeholders as possible
ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat today announced the formation of the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame, in association with the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA), as part of the ICC’s centenary year celebrations.
Speaking in Sydney on Friday at the launch of those celebrations, Mr Lorgat said the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame would provide the chance for the game to recognise its greatest achievers.
“Given a key theme of the ICC’s centenary year is celebrating the game’s heritage then the foundation of the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame is an entirely logical step,” he said.
“It will provide a means of recognising the historical contribution of past players, officials and even institutions in making cricket what it is today, a great sport with a great spirit.
“The ICC has already worked with FICA through the LG ICC Awards and looks forward to this new collaboration which will help to ensure the success of this outstanding project,” added Mr Lorgat.
The initial intake of inductees are the 55 players* named in the FICA Hall of Fame, which ran between 1999 and 2003, and their career statistics and biographies can be found at the new ICC centenary website, also launched today, at www.catchthespirit.com.
This will be supplemented by a select group of inductions each year, starting in 2009 when the newcomers will be announced during the LG ICC Awards ceremony.
The initial inductees (or, in the case of those who have passed away, their relatives) will be presented with a commemorative ICC Cricket Hall of Fame cap at an appropriate stage during the ICC centenary year.
And those living members of the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame will also have the chance to help choose new inductees, part of an inclusive selection process.
Mr Lorgat said: “We have studied numerous halls of fame in other sports to see what works and what doesn’t and how best we can achieve our goal, to recognise the game’s greatest achievers.
“We want to ensure that as many of the game’s stakeholders as possible, including current ICC Cricket Hall of Famers and members of the public, get the chance to have their say in the process of choosing the game’s true legends,” he added.
FICA Chief Executive Tim May said that he was delighted that FICA and the ICC had agreed to invigorate the FICA Hall of Fame concept and enter a joint venture to launch a fresh Hall of Fame, to be known as the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in association with FICA.
“FICA believes it is important to honour the outstanding contributions many individuals have made to the game,” said Mr May.
“The ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in association with FICA is obviously the appropriate forum to do so and we are delighted to join with the ICC in this great venture,” he added.
Inductees reacted positively to their inclusion.
Former Australia wicketkeeper Rodney Marsh was the first Hall of Famer to receive his commemorative cap, doing so from ICC President David Morgan in Sydney on Friday, and afterwards he spoke of his delight to be considered among the elite from the game’s history.
“I’m deeply honoured to be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame,” he said.
“Being recognised in this way is humbling, especially when I look at the names of the players in this list and think about those who will join it in the years to come.
“It (the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame) is another way of showing what a great history our game has and anything that does that has to be a good thing.”
Ex-Australia captain Allan Border said: “I am extremely honoured and excited to be named in the initial induction of the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
“The privilege of being named alongside so many wonderful cricketers and to look at some of the names who have graced this game is truly a special feeling.”
Sir Ian Botham, the former England captain, said: “It is a great honour and I am very pleased to be included in the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. It’s very nice of the people to appreciate and acknowledge what you have achieved in the game.”
Former Australia captain and India coach Greg Chappell said: “Like many other youngsters growing up in Australia I dreamed of emulating the feats of my boyhood heroes Neil Harvey, Richie Benaud, Norman O’Neill, Ray Lindwall and the greatest cricketer in my time, Sir Garfield Sobers, so, to be recognised alongside some of the greats of the game is a great honour.”
Ex-India captain Sunil Gavaskar said: “To be recognised by the premier authority in the game, the ICC, and that, too, in its centenary year, is an honour indeed.
“It is a privilege and I am overwhelmed and humbled to be included in such august company as Sir Donald Bradman and the one and only Sir Garry Sobers.”
Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan said: “It’s kind of an icing on the cake for having a good career. I am truly honoured to have been included with icons from the older generation and stalwarts from my era.”
The launch of the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame forms part of a range of events during the ICC’s centenary year of 2009. The year is intended to be a global celebration with numerous events taking place to reflect all that is great about the game.
ICC Cricket Hall of Fame – initial inductees (55):
Sydney Barnes, Bishan Bedi, Alec Bedser, Richie Benaud, Allan Border, Ian Botham, Geoffrey Boycott, Donald Bradman, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Denis Compton, Colin Cowdrey, Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Lance Gibbs, Graham Gooch, David Gower, WG Grace, Tom Graveney, Gordon Greenidge, Richard Hadlee, Walter Hammond, Neil Harvey, George Headley, Jack Hobbs, Michael Holding, Leonard Hutton, Rohan Kanhai, Imran Khan, Alan Knott, Jim Laker, Harold Larwood, Dennis Lillee, Ray Lindwall, Clive Lloyd, Hanif Mohammad, Rodney Marsh, Malcolm Marshall, Peter May, Javed Miandad, Keith Miller, Bill O’Reilly, Graeme Pollock, Wilfred Rhodes, Barry Richards, Vivian Richards, Andy Roberts, Garfield Sobers, Brian Statham, Fred Trueman, Derek Underwood, Clyde Walcott, Everton Weekes, Frank Woolley, Frank Worrell.