The ICC Hall of Fame has recently welcomed three new members: the legendary spinner Abdul Qadir of Pakistan, the iconic batter Shivnarine Chanderpaul of the West Indies, and England’s multiple Women’s World Cup winning skipper Charlotte Edwards. The trio was chosen after a vote by senior executives from FICA and the ICC, media representatives, and current Hall of Famers, the international cricket council announced on November 8.
Abdul Qadir – Pakistan
Having played for his nation in 104 ODI games and 67 Test matches over a 13-year span, Pakistani spinner Qadir now joins the ranks after an illustrious career. Qadir is well known for revolutionizing the spin bowling technique. He had a distinctive demeanor when approaching the crease and a recognizably eye-catching skip and jump in his delivery stride.
Qadir represented Pakistan in 171 international matches across the two formats, taking part in 236 Test wickets, which still ranks third among all Pakistani spinners, and 132 ODI wickets. Shane Warne, a Australian legendary spinner, recalled how Qadir inspired him while he was watching him on television in the 1980s. Qadir is also well known for inspiring the following generations of spinners around the world.
Charlotte Edwards – England
The Englishwoman has a record as a top-order batter and effective leader that exceeds most of her contemporaries. At the time of her retirement in 2016, Edwards was the highest-scoring female player in ODI and T20 cricket history. The 42-year-old Englishwoman continues to hold the record for most runs scored in ODIs and T20Is. Her impressive career totals of 5992 runs at an average of 38.16 in 191 ODIs, 2605 runs at 32.97 in 95 T20Is, and 1676 runs at an average of 44.10 in Test cricket only serve to bolster her already impressive profile.
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However leading England to three major trophies in the span of six months in 2009 was perhaps the most amazing feat Edwards pulled off during her career. Edwards led her team to victory at the World Twenty20 on home soil after leading England to victory at the 50-over World Cup in Australia at the beginning of the year. To top it all off, Edwards led England to an Ashes defence later that summer, one of five times she was part of an England side that won or retained the Ashes during her career.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul – West Indies
In the 21 years of his career, the Guyanese batsman amassed 11867 test runs in total, hit 30 test centuries, and kept his average above 50, finishing at 51.37. The diminutive left-hander excelled not only in the longest format of the game, but also in the 50-over game, scoring a total of 8778 runs at an average of 41.60 and a strike rate of 70.74.
With his unusual technique of facing the bowler almost square on while batting at the crease, Chanderpaul was well known for giving some of the best bowlers in the world headaches. Only Brian Lara has scored more runs and centuries for the West Indies than his long-time teammate, demonstrating how good a player Chanderpaul was.
