Gilchrist in ICC Cricket Hall of Fame

Perth, Dec 13 (IANS) The International Cricket Council (ICC) Friday inducted Adam Gilchrist into the Cricket Hall of Fame at a simple ceremony during the tea interval of the third Ashes Test match between Australia and England at the Western Australia Cricket Association (WACA) ground here.

Gilchrist received his commemorative cap from Cricket Australia (CA) chairman and ICC director Wally Edwards in front of a large and appreciative crowd. England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman and ICC director Giles Clarke, WACA chairman and vice-president Sam Gannon, and WACA president and ICC Cricket Hall of Famer Dennis Lillee were also present.

Gilchrist has become the 71st male member of the Hall of Fame, and is the second 2013-14 inductee to be announced after Waqar Younis.

After Richie Benaud, Allan Border, Don Bradman, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Neil Harvey, Dennis Lillee, Ray Lindwall, Rodney Marsh, Keith Miller, Bill O’Reilly, Steve Waugh, Victor Trumper, Clarrie Grimmett, Frederick Spofforth, Alan Davidson, Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne, Gilchrist is the 19th male Australia cricketer to be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

Gilchrist, who was born in Bellingen, New South Wales in 1971, was one of Australia’s most prolific wicket-keeper batsmen, having represented the country in 96 Tests in a career that spanned 12 years.

He amassed 5,570 Test runs and claimed 416 dismissals from behind the stumps for Australia, while he captained the team on six occasions.

Gilchrist scored 17 Test centuries and 26 half-centuries while his best performance with the bat was against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2002 when he scored 204 not out in an innings that saw him hit 19 boundaries and eight sixes.

In 287 ODIs, he amassed 9,619 ODI runs and dismissed 472 batsmen behind the wickets. Gilchrist also captained Australia 17 times, and hit 16 centuries and 55 half-centuries with his best innings being 172 against Zimbabwe in Hobart, Tasmania.

Gilchrist was part of the Australia sides that won the ICC Cricket World Cup in 1999, 2003 and 2007 while he was also part of the team that lifted the ICC Champions Trophy in 2006.

Gilchrist said he was delighted and honoured to have been inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame on the first day of this third Ashes Test here in Perth.

“I would like to also take this opportunity to thank all of those who have supported me over the years, both while playing for Australia and also for Western Australia and my other domestic teams.

“There are many fantastic cricketers in the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame and to be joining the likes of Rod Marsh, a man who I looked up to in my early days of playing cricket in school and who ultimately became one of my coaches, is a wonderful moment for me,” he said.