Neetu David inducted in ICC Hall of Fame alongside Cook and De Villiers

Dubai , Oct 16 (IANS) India’s masterful women spinner Neetu David has been industed in the ICC Hall of Fame along with South African multi-format icon AB de Villiers and England Test great Alastair Cook.

"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 said in a statement.

Neetu, who is the current chief selector for Indian women's team, became the second Indian women after former captain Diana Edulji to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame.

The 47-year-old was a widely admired figure for India during her career thanks to her skilful left-arm spin, a weapon that saw her become the first Indian woman to take 100 wickets in ODIs.

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. Neetu 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 that 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.

"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," Neetu was quoted by ICC in a release.

Former captain Cook represented England over 250 times in international cricket, making his most significant impact in the longest format. 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.

"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," cook said.

Completing the lineup is South African great De Villiers, who enjoyed a remarkable career spanning 14 years, during which he hit over 20,000 international runs across all three formats. 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.

"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," said De Villiers.

"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," he added.

The Class of 2024 will be celebrated in a special series of engagements in Dubai this week, coinciding with the conclusion of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.

“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," said ICC Chief Executive Officer, Geoff Allardice.

“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," he concluded.

--IANS

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