Muralitharan first Sri Lankan to be inducted into ICC Hall of fame

Muttiah Muralitharan will be the 1st Sri Lankan to be formally inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame later this year, the ICC has announced. The off-spinner will be inducted alongside former English pacer George Lohmann, former Aussie opener Arthur Morris, and former Aussie women captain Karen Rolton.

"We have in the list some very famous names of different eras. Muralitharan has been one of the greats of the modern era. Lohmann and Morris were outstanding performers during their times and are part of cricket folklore, while Rolton's performances have been recent and came during an era when women's cricket became very competitive," ICC Chief Executive said, ESPNcricinfo reported.

Muralitharan, who was also rated as the greatest Test bowler by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in 2002, holds the record for the most number of wickets in both Tests and ODIs. The 44-year-old has been a match-winner for Sri Lanka during a career which had spanned over 19 years.

Murali will be joined by George Lohmann, who is regarded as one of the greatest bowlers of all time. He holds the lowest lifetime Test bowling average among bowlers with more than fifteen wickets and the lowest strike rate in all of Test history. Lohmann, who played in the 1880s and the 1890s, was the fastest to 100 Test wickets.

Arthur Morris, who was a key member of the famous Invincibles Australian side, holds the feat of outscoring Don Bradman in the 1948 Ashes. He will be joined by a second Aussie in the hall of fame—Karen Rolton. The 41-year-old's 209 not out at Headingley in 2001 remains the highest score in women's Test cricket.

Credits: sportscafe.in