Former West Indies paceman Wesley Hall has been inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame, raising the tally of cricketers from the Caribbean to 18 in an illustrious field of 80 players who have been bestowed with the prestigious award to date.
Hall received his commemorative cap from fellow ICC Cricket Hall of Famer, Courtney Walsh, during the lunch break on the opening day of the second Test between the West Indies and Australia at the Sabina Park, on Thursday.
The pace legend is the fourth cricketer this year to be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame after Betty Wilson, Anil Kumble and Martin Crowe, who were inducted earlier this year during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.
"I feel privileged and indeed honoured to be given this tremendous award. I have noted the list and it has some tremendous cricketers – heroes who have made the game what it is today. So, I am humbled to be included among these many greats of the game," Hall said.
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"Anytime you get these kind of encomiums, it is memorable. It is fantastic to receive the award in the West Indies and in front of adoring fans, which makes it even more special. I have represented the West Indies as a cricketer, as the team manager, and as the President of the WICB, so I will treat this as something I value and will always remember," he said.
Hall played in 48 Tests from 1958 to 1969 in which he took 192 wickets, including five wickets in an innings nine times and 10 wickets in a match on one occasion. In 170 first-class matches, Hall claimed 546 wickets at an average of 26.14.
In 1964-65, his 16 wickets were instrumental in guiding the West Indies to its first series win over Australia. He retired, along with his new ball partner Charlie Griffith, at the end of the tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1968-69.
