June 10, 2025: In a star-studded ceremony held at London’s iconic Abbey Road Studios on Monday, seven cricket legends were inducted into the International Cricket Council (ICC) Hall of Fame. Among the honoured were India’s MS Dhoni, South Africa’s Hashim Amla and Graeme Smith, Australia’s Matthew Hayden, New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori, Pakistan’s Sana Mir, and England’s Sarah Taylor.
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The venue—famous for being the recording spot of The Beatles’ greatest hits—was just a short walk from Lord’s Cricket Ground, where the World Test Championship final was set to begin. Both captains of the final, Australia’s Pat Cummins and South Africa’s Temba Bavuma, were in attendance.
Dhoni, celebrated for leading India to the 2011 ODI World Cup triumph on home soil and as the only captain to win all three ICC white-ball trophies, expressed his gratitude: “It is an honour to be named in the ICC Hall of Fame, which recognises the contributions of cricketers across generations and from all over the world.” The wicketkeeper-batsman finished his ODI career with over 10,000 runs at an average above 50 and remains a beloved figure in world cricket.
South Africa’s Hashim Amla, the first South African to score a Test triple century, and Graeme Smith, who captained South Africa in a record 109 Tests, were also recognised for their remarkable careers. “This is also a proud moment for South Africa,” Smith said during the ceremony.
Australia’s Matthew Hayden, known for his powerful batting, and Daniel Vettori, one of the rare players to achieve over 4,000 Test runs and 300 wickets, were honoured for their contributions to the game.
The induction also highlighted women’s cricket with Pakistan’s Sana Mir, the first Pakistani woman to enter the Hall of Fame, and England’s Sarah Taylor, renowned for her wicket-keeping skills and role in England’s 2017 ODI World Cup victory. Mir reflected emotionally on her journey: “From dreaming as a little girl that one day there would even be a women’s team in our country to now standing here, inducted among the very legends I idolised long before I ever held a bat or a ball — this is a moment I couldn’t have dared to imagine.”
This ceremony not only celebrated individual brilliance but also underscored cricket’s evolving diversity and global appeal.