The ICC Hall of Fame has recently welcomed three new members: the legendary spinner Abdul Qadir of Pakistan, the legendary batter Shivnarine Chanderpaul of the West Indies, and England’s numerous Women’s World Cup champion skipper Charlotte Edwards. The three were chosen for induction after being voted on by senior executives from FICA and the ICC, media representatives, and current Hall of Famers, the international cricket council announced on Tuesday.
“It is a very big honour for the family to hear of this news, we see it as a huge achievement, and one that my father would be very proud of if he was still with us today,” said Usman Qadir, son of Abdul and current Pakistan international. Qadir, who passed away three years ago, played in 67 Tests and 104 ODIs over the course of a 13-year career and claimed 236 and 132 wickets, respectively. Qadir was a pioneer in wrist-spin tactics that are still used today.
After retiring, he mentored teammates from his own country, including Mushtaq Ahmed, Danish Kaneria, and Shahid Afridi, as well as Shane Warne of Australia and Imran Tahir of South Africa. Eighth on the list of all time Test runs, Chanderpaul holds the record of seven half-centuries in consecutive Test innings. “I would like to enjoy the moment with family, friends and most importantly the West Indies cricket fans and fans around the world who passionately supported me throughout my career,” said the veteran of 164 Tests and 268 ODIs.
Edwards won both the T20 World Cup and the Women’s World Cup in 2009 throughout her 20-year career. “I loved every minute of my international career and I’m absolutely delighted to be inducted into to the ICC Hall of Fame,” Edwards, who retired in 2016 as the leading female run-scorer in both ODIs and T20Is, said. Prior to the T20 World Cup semifinal between New Zealand and Pakistan in Sydney, all three of the new entrants will get special recognition during a presentation ceremony.
