The International Cricket Council (ICC) today revealed the latest crop of cricketing icons inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame as the Class of 2024.
Following a process conducted among existing Hall of Famers, senior executives and global cricket media, three names have been added to the long list of cricketing legends that comprise the ICC Hall of Fame: Alastair Cook, Neetu David and AB de Villiers, who join as inductees 113, 114 and 115 respectively.
The ICC Hall of Fame was launched in January 2009 as part of the ICC’s centenary celebrations. Since then, it has helped celebrate the greatest players ever to have graced the game during its long and illustrious history.
Cook represented England over 250 times in international cricket, making his most significant impact in the longest format. A talismanic figure with supreme consistency, he retired from international cricket in 2018 as England’s highest Test run-scorer and century-maker, spearheading notable successes both home and away with the bat and as captain.
David was a widely admired figure for India during her career thanks to her skilful left-arm spin, a weapon which saw her become the first Indian woman to take 100 wickets in One-Day Internationals (ODIs). Among her standout achievements, she hit the headlines when she topped the wicket-taking list at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in 2005 to inspire her country to their first final.
Completing the lineup is de Villiers, who enjoyed a remarkable career spanning 14 years, during which he hit over 20,000 international runs across all three formats. An innovative stroke-maker with an eye for the spectacular, as well as excelling in Test and T20I cricket, the South African set records for the fastest fifty, century and 150 in ODI cricket to earn a reputation of being one of the most feared, destructive batters in the history of the game.
The Class of 2024 will be celebrated in a special series of engagements in Dubai this week, coinciding with the eagerly anticipated conclusion of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
ICC Chief Executive Officer, Geoff Allardice commented: “We are delighted to announce the addition of Alastair, Neetu and AB to the long list of cricketing icons that form the illustrious ICC Hall of Fame, as the Class of 2024.
“Once again, we find ourselves celebrating not only truly great players, but elite innovators, record-breakers and passionate competitors that excelled on the field of play during their glittering international careers.
“Beyond their remarkable statistics spanning all formats of the game, all three have made significant contributions to the way the game is played today and are worthy additions to the ICC Hall of Fame. We look forward to acknowledging their lasting legacies in Dubai later this week.”
Alastair Cook: “I am delighted to have been chosen to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame. It is a huge honour to join some of the greatest players to have ever played the game.
“I have always felt very fortunate to have had the opportunity to play for Essex and England and so to have this latest honour given to me just makes it all the more special.”
Neetu David: “It is truly an honour to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame, something that I consider to be the highest recognition available to anyone who puts on their national team jersey. This comes after a lifetime of dedication to this great sport, and it caps a very special journey for me to get to this point.
“To be considered a Hall of Famer alongside the greatest players that ever lived is humbling, and I am thrilled to be part of this exclusive club.
“I would like to thank the ICC for the recognition, as well as all the BCCI, my teammates, coaches, family and friends that were a constant source of support throughout my career.”
AB de Villiers: “It is a tremendous honour to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame, joining a select group of cricketers to be recognised in this way.
“Cricket is often described as an individual sport within a team game… and it’s true that, whether you are a batsman taking guard at the crease or a bowler pausing at the start of his run-up, you – and only you – are responsible for what happens.
“That said, everyone who plays cricket understands it is, in spirit, a team game.
“And I know I would have achieved nothing without the help and support of so many teammates, coaches and support staff from my early days at school in Pretoria, through so many memorable days at the Titans and with the South Africa team – and, indeed in franchise cricket – all around the world.
“To all of them, to the ICC, and supporters around the world, thank you.”
Alastair Cook
161 Tests – 12,472 runs at an average of 45.35, 1 wicket
92 ODIs – 3,204 runs at an average of 36.40
4 T20Is – 61 runs at an average of 15.25
Cook made his introduction to international cricket in spectacular fashion in 2006, hitting a century and half-century against India in Nagpur as a 21-year-old.
His was the England wicket the opposition valued the most over the course of his career, with success coming all over the world. His strong back-foot play helped him score runs on the bouncy tracks in Australia while his ability to play on the front-foot and use his height and long stride led to tremendous success in subcontinent conditions, and he ended with more Test runs in Asia than any other visiting batter.
His prolific run-scoring and captaincy were key features in a number of notable team successes during his career. He won two home Ashes Series as captain in 2013 and 2015 and was Player of the Series in the historic 2010-11 win in Australia, when he scored 766 runs at an average of 127.66. He also captained England to their first series win in India for 28 years in 2012-13, scoring three centuries in the process.
Beyond the Test arena, Cook scored more than 3,000 ODI runs and led his country to the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 on home soil.
At the time of his international retirement, he was England’s highest run-scorer and century-maker in Test cricket, had taken the most catches and had set a world record with 159 successive Test appearances. He signed off from Test cricket in the same way he started – with a century and half-century against India.
Neetu David
10 Tests – 41 wickets at 18.90
97 ODIs – 141 wickets at 16.34
David was a prodigious talent when she debuted for India in February 1995, taking up the mantle of India’s frontline left-arm spinner after the retirement of the influential Diana Edulji. She made an immediate mark in her debut Test Match against New Zealand at Nelson, taking four for 51 in her 30 overs, which included the prize wicket of fellow ICC Hall of Famer, Debbie Hockley.
Early success in the ODI format set her on the path to becoming the first woman from her country to take 100 ODI wickets, a feat which included a memorable campaign in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2005 in South Africa, where she topped the list of wicket-takers with 20 wickets at just 8.35 apiece to help India to the final for the first time.
She remains second on India’s leading ODI wicket-taker list, and her bowling average of 16.34 is the best by any bowler who took at least 100 wickets in that format – male or female.
She marked the 100th Women’s Test to be played with figures of eight for 53 against England at Jamshedpur, the first eight-wicket haul in Women’s Test cricket and figures which remain a world record to this day.
Having originally announced her retirement from international cricket in June 2006, she subsequently reversed that decision in time to help India win the 2008 Asia Cup in Sri Lanka.
AB de Villiers
114 Tests – 8,765 runs at an average of 50.66 plus 222 catches & 5 stumpings
228 ODIs – 9,577 runs at an average of 53.50 plus 176 catches & 5 stumpings
78 T20Is – 1,672 runs at an average of 26.12 plus 65 catches & 7 stumpings
De Villiers made his debut for South Africa in 2004 and by the end of his first series, he had scored his first Test century, as well as having established himself as a superb wicket-keeper.
A glittering Test career followed – an unbeaten innings of 278 against Pakistan at Abu Dhabi in 2010 was briefly the highest individual score for South Africa in Test cricket and three years later his 11 catches behind the stumps against the same opposition in Johannesburg equalled the Test record for the most dismissals in a match.
He topped the ICC Player Rankings in Tests, where he blended exquisite stroke-play with resolute defence at times. He also went on to top the rankings in the ODI format, where his athleticism, explosiveness and ingenuity earned him the affectionate nickname of ‘Mr 360’ among global fans.
In 2015 he set blistering new records for the fastest 50, 100 and 150 in ODIs during unforgettable innings of 149 and 162 not out against the West Indies, the latter of which came in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2015 at Sydney.
He retired from all formats in 2018 averaging over 50 in both Tests and ODIs, and thanks to a specialist skillset in T20Is, he flourished in in franchise leagues around the world. (ICC)
