Rahul Dravid, Ricky Ponting, Claire Taylor inducted into ICC Cricket Hall of Fame

Rahul Dravid was the fifth Indian, Ricky Ponting the 25th Australian, and Claire Taylor the seventh woman and third Englishwoman to be thus honoured.

Rahul Dravid, Ricky Ponting, and Claire Taylor were inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame during a ceremony in Dublin on Sunday. The honour is bestowed upon the greatest names to have graced the sport, some years after they have called it quits. Dravid was the fifth and Ponting the 25th respectively from India and Australia to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, while Taylor was the seventh woman and third England woman to be thus honoured. The trio was selected by existing ICC Cricket Hall of Famers and representatives from the media.

ICC started the honours in 2009 in association with Federation of International Cricketers’ Association (FICA). There were 55 initial inductees. With Dravid, Ponting, and Taylor, there are currently 84 members in the prestigious group.

ICC Chief Executive David Richardson congratulated the trio: “Naming players in the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame is ICC’s way of recognising the greats of the game. I congratulate Rahul, Ricky and Claire, who truly deserve to be in this list … The ICC Cricket Hall of Fame is our way of honouring the greats of our game. Only the very best players in the world are recognised for their contribution to cricket in this way and I would like to congratulate Rahul, Ricky and Claire who are wonderful additions to the list of cricketing luminaries in the Hall of Fame.”

Dravid commented: “It is a matter of great honour to be named by the ICC in the Cricket Hall of Fame. To find your name in a list of all-time greats across generations is something one only dreams of while setting out on a cricket career and the kind of recognition that would delight any player.

“I’m thankful to my near and dear ones as well as players I have played with and against, coaches and officials who have backed me over the years and helped me develop as a cricketer. I would also like to thank the KSCA and the BCCI for all the support over the years and the ICC for recognizing my achievements and picking me in this group of Hall of Fame inductees.”

Ponting echoed Dravid’s thoughts: “I feel deeply honoured to be recognised by the ICC in this way. I loved every moment of my journey as a player and am so very proud of the team and personal achievements along the way.

“These would not have been possible without the help of so many people including my teammates, coaches and support staff that played such an integral part in my playing career. I would like to especially thank my family for their constant support and direction. Honours like this are just as much for them as it is for me.”

… as did Taylor: “It’s a great honour to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame alongside some of the greatest names of the men’s and women’s game from across the world and throughout the generations, players who I looked up to during my playing career and hold in great esteem.

“I would like to thank everyone who helped me achieve my dreams of success with England, particularly my parents for their support from my early days in the game, Mark Lane for his coaching wisdom, the ECB for their support of the national team, my team-mates and support staff and my colleagues at SUMS Consulting, for their flexibility and confidence that I could deliver success both on and off the field over the last five years of my international cricket career.”

Here is the complete list of ICC Hall of Fame inductees:

Dravid was named ICC Cricketer of the Year and ICC Test Player of the Year in 2004, and has a world record 210 Test catches. He also has 13,288 Test runs — the fourth-most in history — while his 10,889 ODI runs put him at ninth spot.

Ponting, ICC Cricketer of the Year in 2006 and 2007 and ICC Test Player of the Year in 2006, has played four World Cup finals, winning in 1999, 2003 and 2007, the last two as captains. This includes a streak of 26 successive World Cup match wins. He also led Australia to the Champions Trophy titles in 2006 and 2009. His 13,378 runs is the second-most in history. His 13,704 ODI runs have been exceeded by only two men.

Taylor was named ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year in 2009 and Player of the tournament in the the Women’s World Cup and Women’s World T20, both in 2009. She averaged over 40 in both Tests and ODIs, and was an excellent wicketkeeper.

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