SYDNEY: Former Indian captain Anil Kumble has been inducted into the ICC’s Hall of Fame and was presented a commemorative cap during the innings break of World Cup Pool B tie between India and South Africa on Sunday at Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The legendary spinner played 132 Tests for India from 1990-2008 and claimed 619 wickets, and retired as India’s highest wicket-taking bowler in their Test cricket history. Addressing a media conference at MCG, Kumble said that probably 80 per cent of the crowd would be Indian so it would be great to receive it in front of a home crowd and in a big event, News.com.au reported.
Kumble said that his 10-wicket haul against Pakistan in 1999 remained his standout performance of his career. Heaping praise on his two greatest contemporaries, Kumble said that he could never compete with a Muttiah Muralitharan or a Shane Warne, adding that he wished he had the skills they had. The former leg-spinner said that he had had some great friendships with Warne and even more with Murali as they played each other a lot more, they saw each other a lot more.
Kumble, who is now the Chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee, is the fourth India cricketer to be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame after fellow former captains Bishan Bedi, Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar were inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009.
Joining Kumble as the 78th inductee would be the late Betty Wilson, one of the greatest women’s cricketers of all-time.
Kumble, with 619 Test wickets, is the third highest wicket-taker in Test cricket after Muttiah Muralidaran (800) and Shane Warne (708), while his 337 wickets in ODIs ranks him in ninth position on the all-time list of most successful bowlers in that format. Kumble captained India in 14 Tests between 2007 and 2008, winning three and losing five.
In the 138-year history of Test cricket during which 2,156 Tests have been played to date, Kumble is one of only two bowlers after England’s Jim Laker to have taken all 10 wickets in an innings. He achieved this feat against traditional rival Pakistan in New Delhi in February 1999.
Kumble made his Test debut in 1990 in Manchester and his final appearance was in New Delhi in October-November 2008.
