Mahela Jayawardene, Shaun Pollock and Janette Brittin. Picture Credit: Twitter and ICC
Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardena, South Africa’s Shaun Pollock and England’s Janette Brittin are the latest inductees to the International Cricket Council's Hall of Fame. The same was announced on Saturday. While many would be familiar with the names of Jayawardene and Pollock, Brittin, a veteran of 27 Tests and 63 ODIs for England between 1979 and 1998, is widely regarded as one of the greatest batters to have graced the women's game.
To date, Brittin remains the greatest run-scorer- 1935 runs at an average of 49.61, a centurion- with 5 Test hundreds- as well as 27 Test appearances - in women's Test cricket history.
In addition to Tests, the Englishwoman put up a great show in the ODIs as well as she accumulated 2121 runs at a healthy average of 42.42 with as many as five tons in 63 ODIs. She was also part of England's World Cup-winning team in 1993, ending as the competition's highest run-scorer with 410 runs at an average of 51.25.
Brittin, who breathed her last in 2017 aged 58, is the 31st England player to join the elite Hall of Fame.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan cricket legend Mahela Jayawardene is a huge name in cricketing history. He has featured in 652 international fixtures comprising of 149 Tests, 448 ODIs and 55 T20Is. Only one other cricketer has played more international matches than him and it happens to be India's Sachin Tendulkar who played 12 more matches in a career spanning 24 years.
Former Sri Lanka captain Jayawardena’s 149 Tests are the most by a cricketer from the nation so are his 448 ODIs (12,650 runs at 33.37 along with 19 centuries). His hundred against India in the ICC ODI World Cup 2011 final is the only ton to date that has come in a losing cause.
He scored 11,814 Test runs at an average nearing 50, in addition to 12650 ODI runs.
The third Hall of Fame entrant is Shaun Pollock- an all-rounder par excellence and a champion Protea cricketer. He not only scored 7386 international runs but also scalped 829 wickets, providing superb balance to the South African team and making them a force to reckon with in world cricket.
Shaun is the nephew of ICC Hall of Famer Graeme Pollock and overall featured in 108 Tests, 303 ODIs and 12 T20Is across 13 years.