Martin Crowe to be introduced in the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame

Martin Crowe to be introduced in the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame: The International Cricket Council (ICC) had announced inducting four former cricketers into its Hall of Fame list, two of whom Indian Spinner Anil Kumble and former Australian women cricketer Betty Wilson were introduced into the ICC Hall of Fame just past week during the South Africa vs India ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 contest. As they had earlier announced of intentions to have four players in the hall of fame this year, the third name announced is former New Zealand captain and batsman Martin David Crowe.

The ICC said Crowe’s hall of fame entry will be done in a ceremony to be held at Auckland during the New Zealand vs Australia ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 match up.

Crowe has a rich cricketing career to talk about, as he is known for being a classy batsman and was the core of the team led by Richard Hadlee. In his career spanning 77 tests and 143 ODIs he has scored more than 10000 runs and at a healthy test and ODI average to be proud off.

Since retiring from all the forms of the game Richard Crowe is a renowned commentator in New Zealand cricketing circles.

The ICC Press Release announcing the same:

Ceremony to take place during New Zealand v Australia match in Auckland

New Zealand great Martin Crowe, one of the most stylish and elegant batsmen of his generation, will be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 match between New Zealand and Australia at Eden Park in Auckland on 28 February, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced today.

When Crowe receives his commemorative cap from ICC Director and Chairman of Cricket Australia, Mr Wally Edwards, during the innings break, he will become the 79^th inductee into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame and third New Zealand player after Sir Richard Hadlee and Debbie Hockley.

Crowe made his international debut against Australia in Wellington in February 1982 at the age of 19. He retired 13 years later after playing 77 Tests, he had scored 5,444 at an average of 45.36. This included 17 centuries, the most by a New Zealand cricketer, while his 299 against Sri Lanka in Wellington in January 1991 stood as a national record until Brendon McCullum scored 302 against India in Wellington last year in February.

Crowe also played 143 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) in which he scored 4,704 runs at an average of 38.55 with four centuries and 34 half-centuries. He played in three ICC Cricket World Cups, and led New Zealand to the semi-final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 1992 where his side lost to eventual champion Pakistan in Auckland. However, his innovative captaincy and most runs in the series won him player of the ICC Cricket World Cup 1992 award.

Crowe captained New Zealand in 16 Tests and 44 ODIs.

Overall, Crowe played 247 first-class matches in a 17-year career in which he scored 19,608 runs with 71 centuries and 80 half-centuries. Apart from representing New Zealand, he also played for Auckland, Central Districts, Somerset and Wellington.

Last week in Melbourne, former India captain Anil Kumble and Australia’s Betty Wilson were inducted in the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

The process for the selection of players into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame started last year when the ICC Chairman invited all the living ICC Cricket Hall of Famers to send their nominations. The ICC Nominations Committee reduced the long-list to 10 men’s and three women’s cricketers.

The short-list was then sent to the Voting Academy, which included representatives of all the 10 Full Members, media representatives from all the 10 Full Members, Associate & Affiliate Member, women’s cricket and FICA representatives as well as living ICC Hall of Famers. The ICC collated the nominations and forwarded the ballot papers to the auditors who provided the final results.

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*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.

2009-10 Inductees:

Herbert Sutcliffe, Steve Waugh, Wasim Akram, Victor Trumper and Clarrie Grimmett.

2010-11 Inductees:

Rachael Heyhoe-Flint, Ken Barrington, Courtney Walsh and Joel Garner.

2011-12 Inductees:

Belinda Clark, Frederick Spofforth, Curtly Ambrose and Alan Davidson.

2012-13 Inductees:

Enid Bakewell, Brian Lara, Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne.

2013-14 Inductees:

Adam Gilchrist, Debbie Hockley, Bob Simpson and Waqar Younis.

2014-15 Inductees:

Anil Kumble, Betty Wilson and Martin Crowe. One more to be announced in due course.