ICC HALL OF FAME FOR MURALI

Spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan will be inducted to the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame along with Karen Rolton, Arthur Morris and George Lohmann later this year, the ICC announced yesterday.

This record-breaking off-spinner Muralitharan becomes the first Sri Lankan player to be inducted along with twice ICC Women’s World Cup winner and former Australia women’s captain Karen Rolton, her compatriot Arthur Morris, a member of Don Bradman’s ‘invincibles’ and England’s George Lohmann, the 19th century fast bowler who took 100 wickets in just 16 Tests.

The four iconic cricketers were voted by the ICC Cricket Hall of Fam as well as members of the media. They will be presented with commemorative caps honouring their contribution to the game to mark their induction. Family members will represent Lohmann and Morris at the presentations.

“I am honoured by it,” said Muttiah Muralitharan who recently had a row of words with its former employer, Sri Lanka Cricket over his decision to take up a consultancy position with the visiting Australian side. “It’s good to feel when you know you are being recognized for what you have done for the game.”

ICC Chief Executive David Richardson congratulated the four, saying: “The ICC Cricket Hall of Fame recognises some of the truly great players from cricket’s long and illustrious history, and this year’s inductees thoroughly deserve to be in this highly prestigious group.

“Muralitharan has been one of the greats of the modern era. His guile and consistency over the years helped Sri Lanka develop as a very competitive side in both Tests and ODI cricket.”

Known to spin the ball prodigiously, Muralitharan also played a big part in Sri Lanka’s ODI successes from 1993 to 2011 and was a member of the squads that won the ICC Cricket World Cup 1996 and shared the ICC Champions Trophy 2002 with India