The International Cricket Council (ICC) has inducted former national team great Zaheer Abbas into the Hall of Fame, making him the sixth Pakistani cricketer to receive the award.
A statement issued by the ICC said that the induction of Zaheer Abbas and other players into the ICC Hall of Fame was announced in a program broadcast online on the social media channel.
In cricket, 73-year-old Zaheer Abbas, known as the Asian Bradman, not only represented Pakistan from 1970 to 1980 but also played cricket for the English county of Gloucestershire.
The ICC said: “So far, 93 players have been inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame under the regular system, for which those who have retired from cricket are eligible and those who have made their mark are eligible. The last match was played 5 years ago.
In addition to Zaheer Abbas, other players inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame include South Africa’s great all-rounder Jacques Kallis and Australia’s World Cup all-rounder Lisa Asthalikar.
In a statement on the ICC’s website, Zaheer Abbas said: “I am very proud and very happy.
“I am excited about this honor with the great players,” he said.
The former great Pakistan batsman is the only player to score a century in first-class cricket and has been the President of the ICC.
“I thank my family, my country Pakistan, County Gloucestershire and my fans around the world who helped me win this award and fulfill my dream of playing cricket at a high level,” said Abbas.
? ICC Hall of Fame 2020: Zaheer Abbas ??
? Nicknamed ‘Run Machine’ for his big scores
? First batsman to score 5x? in successive internationals
? Only Asian batsman to score 100 first-class centuriesAn icon of the sport! pic.twitter.com/SQ8FvEta9g
— ICC (@ICC) August 23, 2020
“I am also grateful to the ICC and the jury for acknowledging the services of any cricketer,” he said.
An opportunity for pride for Pakistan, PCC
In his statement, Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ehsan Mani congratulated Zaheer Abbas on being inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame and said that it was a proud and happy occasion for the country to see his great achievements as the governing body of the game. Acknowledged
He said that he congratulated Zaheer Abbas on behalf of millions of Pakistani cricket fans all over the world.
Ehsan Mani said that he was sure that those who had seen Zaheer Abbas playing would agree that when he was batting and it seemed as if poetry was scattering.
He said that Zaheer Abbas has left a very positive impact in Pakistan cricket.
The Chairman PCB said that as he made his mark in the cricketing nations, the interest in the game among the younger generation also increased and as a result we have international style champion batsmen.
Ehsan Mani said: “He deserved this honor from the ICC and hopefully the next generation will follow suit.”
It may be recalled that the Hall of Fame was inaugurated by the ICC in 2009, in which the greatest players in the world of cricket are included in this list.
Hanif Mohammad, Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis are among the five players who have won the award from Pakistan earlier.
Pakistan cricket fans from various age groups have welcomed Zaheer Abbas’ induction in the #ICCHallOfFame pic.twitter.com/n88amc7yzu
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) August 23, 2020
So far, 28 players from England, 27 from Australia, 18 from West Indies, 6 from India, 4 from South Africa, 3 from New Zealand and one from Sri Lanka have been inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame.