Australia to honor its women cricketers in hall of fame

The Australian Cricket Hall of Fame decides to induct women cricketers in the hall of fame from next year.

Sydney: The Australian Cricket Hall of Fame, which is a Melbourne Cricket Club initiative supported by Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers Association, has decided to induct women cricketers in the hall of fame from next year.

Since the first intake in 1996, selectors have been unable to induct some of nation’s greatest female cricket players because of the statistical criteria. Former Australian captain Belinda Clark was recently inducted into the International Cricket Council and Sport Australia halls of fame, but she has not been granted the same honor by her own sport in her own country. Clark boasts a formidable record as she averaged more than 45 in both Tests and one-day internationals but has played only 15 Tests during her 14-year international career. She became the second woman to enter the ICC Hall of Fame. “We were delighted when Belinda Clark was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame and the Sport Australia Hall of Fame,” The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Cricket Australia spokesman Peter Young, as saying. The Australian Cricket Hall of Fame selectors believe there is merit in its criteria allowing for the induction of female members as well as male members,” he said. “Australia has had some of the world``s best female cricketers and … Belinda Clark and Betty Wilson are two names that could come up for discussion,” Young added. The next hall of fame inductees will be honored at Monday night’s Allan Border Medal dinner, where the women``s international player of the year will be presented with the Belinda Clark award. ANI