Cricket Australia congratulates Belinda Clark, Alan Davidson and Fred Spofforth, who were announced as 2011 inductees into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. Along with the three Australians, former West Indies quick Curtly Ambrose was also announced as an inductee for 2011. Clark became only the second woman, after England’s Rachael Heyhoe-Flint, to be inducted while Davidson and Spofforth joined 13 other Australian men on the prestigious list (full list below).
In 14 years as an international player, Clark played 15 Tests scoring 919 runs at an average of 45.95, along with 118 ODIs amassing 4844 runs at 47.49 and was captain between 1993 and 2005. An all-rounder from Gosford in New South Wales, Davidson took 186 Test wickets at 20.53 and scored 1328 Test runs at 24.59 in his 44 appearances between 1953 and 1963. Fred Spofforth, known to teammates as ‘The Demon’, was a tall opening bowler hailing from Balmain who played in 18 Tests from 1877 to 1887 taking 94 wickets at 18.41. Clark today said she was honoured to be inducted and that it was a privilege to play for Australia.
“It’s a great honour, it means a lot to be recognised by the international organisation and I am very proud to be included,” Clark said. “I felt privileged to be a part of the Australian Teams I played in. As a group we applied ourselves and picked up rewards along the way that were proportional to the work we put in. I was honoured to be able to captain the Australian Team in what was a successful era. I would also like to acknowledge the passion, enthusiasm and skill of all the players, support staff & administration that contributed to the success we enjoyed. Individual rewards are often a reflection of the people you work with this is definitely the case in this award.”
A delighted 82-year-old Davidson said: “Since being selected for the first time for my country. This is an amazing recognition and I am proud of it. “My whole dream since I was nine years old was to play for Australia. It was most extraordinary feeling. This is an acknowledgment of my career, so this is equally as great,” he said.
Cricket Australia Chief Executive Officer James Sutherland also took the opportunity to congratulate Clark, Davidson and Spofforth on their award. “Belinda’s 14-year international playing career was exemplary; she captained Australia for 12 years which included leading her country to two World Cup wins, while averaging over 45 with the bat in both Test and one-day cricket,” Mr Sutherland said. “She is a wonderful ambassador for cricket and has been a driving strength behind the improvement seen in recent years for the coverage and promotion of women’s cricket in Australia.” On Davidson, Mr Sutherland said: “Although I didn’t get to watch him play live, the accounts I’ve heard about Davidson say he was a fine fast bowler with a rhythmical action who troubled many batsmen with his ability to swing the ball. “He backed-up his bowling as very handy batsman in Australia’s middle or lower-order and was renowned for his powerful striking and ability to find the boundary.” On Spofforth, Mr Sutherland said: “Known as ‘The Demon’, Spofforth was Australia’s very first fast bowler, wearing a path for the many fast bowlers the country has produced since. “In a career full of highlights, he was the first bowler to clinch a Test hat-trick and in May 1878 he took 10-20 in Australia’s win against the MCC at Lord’s and it was in that match he earned the nickname ‘The Demon’.”
All inductees will be formally inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame at the ICC Awards in London tonight. ICC Cricket Hall of Fame –inductees as of 11 September 2011 (64): Sydney Barnes, Ken Barrington, Bishan Bedi, Alec Bedser, Richie Benaud, Allan Border, Ian Botham, Geoffrey Boycott, Donald Bradman, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Denis Compton, Colin Cowdrey, Kapil Dev, Joel Garner, Sunil Gavaskar, Lance Gibbs, Graham Gooch, David Gower, WG Grace, Tom Graveney, Gordon Greenidge, Clarrie Grimmett, Richard Hadlee, Walter Hammond, Neil Harvey, George Headley, Rachael Heyhoe-Flint, Jack Hobbs, Michael Holding, Leonard Hutton, Rohan Kanhai, Imran Khan, Alan Knott, Jim Laker, Harold Larwood, Dennis Lillee, Ray Lindwall, Clive Lloyd, Hanif Mohammad, Rodney Marsh, Malcolm Marshall, Peter May, Javed Miandad, Keith Miller, Bill O’Reilly, Graeme Pollock, Wilfred Rhodes, Barry Richards, Vivian Richards, Andy Roberts, Garfield Sobers, Brian Statham, Herbert Sutcliffe, Fred Trueman, Victor Trumper, Derek Underwood, Courtney Walsh, Steve Waugh, Wasim Akram, Clyde Walcott, Everton Weekes, Frank Woolley, Frank Worrell.
