Waqar inducted into ICC’s Hall of Fame

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NEW DEHLI: Pakistan’s pace bowling great Waqar Younis and former Australian wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist were on Monday inducted into cricket’s Hall of Fame, said the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Waqar joins Hanif Mohammad and former teammates Imran Khan, Javed Miandad and Wasim Akram as the Pakistanis in the exclusive club. On the other hand, Gilchrist will be the 19th Australian male inductee, the ICC said.
Waqar will be honoured by the governing body during the Twenty20 International between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Dubai on Wednesday, while Gilchrist will be feted during the third Ashes Test in Perth on Friday.
Waqar claimed 373 wickets in 87 Tests and 416 wickets in 262 One-Day Internationals (ODI) before retiring after the 2003 World Cup.
Waqar formed a potent pair with Wasim Akram, the two played stellar roles in many historic wins registered by Pakistan in the 90s.
The master of reverse swing helped Pakistan beat England in two consecutive Test series in their own backyard in 1992 and 1996.
Waqar was feared in both Test and ODI formats of the game, his yorkers were deadly in the death overs of the innings and were pivotal in many famous wins all around the world.
Waqar overcame stress fracture of the back twice in his career, he was first forced to miss the 1992 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, while he suffered a recurrence of the injury in the mid-nineties however he made resounding comebacks each time.
“It’s a huge honour for me,” said Waqar. “I’m truly grateful to the people who’ve considered me worthy of such an honour.”
Gilchrist played 96 Tests during a 12-year career that ended in 2008, making 5,570 runs and claiming 416 dismissals behind the stumps. In 287 ODIs, he scored 9,619 runs and dismissed 472 batsmen.
“I am delighted to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and to be doing it in front of my home crowd on the first day of the third Test will be a very special occasion for me and my family,” said Gilchrist.
The induction of Waqar and Gilchrist takes the tally of male cricketers in the Hall of Fame to 71, while two more players will be added by the end of the month, the ICC said.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 10^th, 2013.