Former India captain Rahul Dravid on Thursday made it to the ICC Hall of Fame at a brief function ahead of the final ODI between India and the West Indies in Thiruvananthapuram. Dravid became only the fifth player from India to be named in the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. Legendary opener Sunil Gavaskar presided over the formalities. The ICC, on July 2, announced his induction into the Hall of Fame.
Sachin Tendulkar had also congratulated Rahul Dravid for his nomination to the list when the news broke. He congratulated Dravid with a tweet where he said, the wall is finally in the hall. Sachin also posted a picture of him with Dravid. Rahul Dravid, who is popular as ‘Wall of Indian cricket’, is famous for his defensive batting style during his cricketing days in Indian team.
Rahul Dravid has made to the list, but do you know why the great Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar has not made it to the list till now. Well, it’s because there are certain rules regarding selection to the ICC Hall of Fame in which Sachin does not fit at present.
According to ICC rules for Hall of Fame, a batsman can qualify for the ICC Hall of Fame only if he has scored more than 8000 and 20 hundreds in any of the two major formats-Tests and One-Day Internationals or have an average of over 50 in either.
With 18,426 runs ODIs and 15,921 runs in Tests, Sachin comfortably fits into this criteria. Moreover, Sachin has also scored 51 and 49 hundreds in Tests and ODI respectively, so he is far more ahead to be eligible in this regard.
Another rule of ICC Hall of Fame says that only those players who haven’t played any international game of cricket in five years prior to the nomination can be included in the elite list. Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar retired from the international cricket on November 16, 2013, therefore, he is not eligible for making to the ICC Hall of Fame this year. He will be eligible for the list next year. On the other hand, Rahul Dravid, who is presently the coach of India A team, retired from the international cricket in March 2012.
Wall of Fame in Hall of Fame: The Famous 5
Dravid became only the fifth player from India in the elite list. The other four Indians are former players Bishan Singh Bedi, Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Anil Kumble. International Cricket Council (ICC) Hall of Fame is a galaxy of cricketing legends who have adorned the sport with their memorable achievements.
