Cook, David and de Villiers inducted into The ICC Hall of Fame as Class of 2024

Alastair Cook, the legendary England Test player, is inducted as number 113. India's talented spinner Neetu David is honored as the 114th inductee. Multi-format icon from South Africa The 115th name on the lengthy list of cricketing greats is AB de Villiers. Dubai will celebrate the class of 2024 this week as the ICC Women's T20 World Cup comes to an end. Today, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the Class of 2024, the newest group of cricketing greats to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame.

Alastair Cook, Neetu David, and AB de Villiers have been added to the long list of cricketing legends that make up the ICC Hall of Fame. They join as inductees 113, 114, and 115, respectively, after a process that involved current Hall of Famers, senior executives, and international cricket media. As part of the ICC's centennial celebrations, the ICC Hall of Fame was established in January 2009. Since then, it has contributed to honoring the best players who have ever played in the game's lengthy and storied history.

Cook played more than 250 international matches for England, but his greatest influence came in the longest format. He led England to significant victories both at home and abroad with the bat and as captain, and he retired from international cricket in 2018 as the country's top Test run scorer and century maker. He is a talismanic figure with unmatched consistency. Because of her skillful left-arm spin, which made her the first Indian woman to take 100 wickets in One-Day Internationals (ODIs), David was a highly admired figure for India during her career. Among her most notable accomplishments, she made headlines in 2005 when she led her nation to their first final by taking the most wickets at the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup.

De Villiers, who had an incredible 14-year career that included over 20,000 international runs in all three formats, rounds out the lineup. In addition to dominating in Test and T20I cricket, the South African was a creative stroke-maker with an eye for the spectacular. He broke records for the fastest fifty, century, and 150 in ODI cricket, solidifying his status as one of the game's most dangerous and destructive hitters.

This week in Dubai, the highly anticipated end of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup will coincide with a special series of activities honoring the Class of 2024.

"We are delighted to announce the addition of Alastair, Neetu, and AB to the long list of cricketing icons that form the illustrious ICC Hall of Fame, as the Class of 2024," said ICC Chief Executive Officer Geoff Allardice.

Once more, we are honoring not just genuinely outstanding athletes but also outstanding trailblazers, inventors, and fierce rivals who achieved success on the field of play during their illustrious international careers.

"All three have significantly influenced how the game is played today and are deserving additions to the ICC Hall of Fame, even beyond their astounding numbers across all game formats. We are excited to recognize their enduring contributions in Dubai later this week.

"I am honored to have been selected for induction into the ICC Hall of Fame," said Alastair Cook. Being able to play with some of the best players ever is an incredible honor.

"Being awarded this latest honor just makes it all the more special. I have always felt very fortunate to have had the opportunity to play for Essex and England."

Neetu David: "I consider being inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame to be an honor, as it is the highest recognition granted to anyone who dons a national team jersey." This completes a very remarkable trip for me after a lifetime of devotion to this wonderful sport.

It is humble to be regarded as a Hall of Famer among the greatest players in history, and I am honored to be a member of this elite group.

"I express my gratitude to the ICC for the recognition, the entire BCCI, my teammates, coaches, family, and friends who provided unwavering support throughout my career."

"Being inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame and joining a select group of cricketers to be recognised in this way is a tremendous honour," said AB de Villiers.
 

Cricket is frequently characterized as an individual sport played as a team. And it is true that you are the only one accountable for what occurs, regardless of whether you are a bowler stopping at the beginning of his run-up or a batsman taking charge at the crease.

Nevertheless, everyone who plays cricket is aware that it is really a team sport.

And I am aware that without the assistance and backing of so many teammates, coaches, and support personnel from 

From my early school days in Pretoria to my many wonderful days at the Titans and with the South Africa team—and, in fact, in franchise cricket—around the world, I am aware that I could not have accomplished anything without the assistance and support of several teammates, coaches, and support personnel.

"Thank you to all of them, the ICC, and supporters worldwide."

Cook, Alastair

12,472 runs at an average of 45.35 and 1 wicket in 161 Test matches

3,204 runs at an average of 36.40 in 92 ODIs

61 runs at an average of 15.25 in 4 T20Is
 

Cook, then 21 years old, made a remarkable debut in international cricket in 2006 when he smashed a century and a half against India in Nagpur.

Throughout his career, with victories all over the world, he was the England wicket that the opponent cherished the most. He finished with more Test runs in Asia than any other visiting hitter. His ability to play on the front foot and use his height and lengthy stride led to enormous success in subcontinent conditions, while his excellent back-foot play helped him score runs on the bouncy tracks in Australia.

Throughout his career, his ability to lead and score runs was crucial to several noteworthy team victories. He was Player of the Series in the historic 2010–11 victory in Australia, scoring 766 runs at an average of 127.66, and he won two home Ashes Series in 2013 and 2015 while serving as captain. In 2012–13, he led England to their first series victory in India in 28 years while amassing three hundreds.

Outside of the Test arena, Cook amassed over 3,000 ODI runs and guided his nation to the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy final at home. 

He set a world record with 159 consecutive Test appearances, took the most catches, and was England's top run scorer and century maker in Test cricket at the time of his retirement from the national team. He ended his Test cricket career with a century and a half against India, just as he had begun.

David Neetu

41 wickets at 18.90 in 10 Test matches

141 wickets at 16.34 in 97 ODIs

When David made her debut for India in February 1995, following the retirement of the influential Diana Edulji, she was a gifted left-arm spinner who quickly rose to prominence. In her first Test match at Nelson against New Zealand, she made an immediate impression by taking four wickets for 51 in her thirty overs, including the wicket of Debbie Hockley, another ICC Hall of Famer.

She began her journey to become the first female player from her nation to reach 100 ODI wickets with early success in the format. She achieved this feat, which included a memorable campaign in the 2005 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup in South Africa, where she led the field in wicket-taking with 20 wickets at an average of just 8.35 apiece to assist India.

She is still the second-most wicket-taker in the history of the Indian One-Day Internationals, and her bowling average of 16.34 is the highest of any bowler, male or female, who has taken at least 100 wickets in that format.

With figures of eight for 53 against England at Jamshedpur, she marked the 100th Women's Test match to be played. This was the first eight-wicket haul in Women's Test cricket, and the stats are still a world record today.

She had declared her retirement from international cricket in June 2006, but she changed her mind just in time to assist India in winning the 2008 Asia Cup in Sri Lanka.

AB de Villiers

8,765 runs at an average of 50.66 in 114 Tests, along with 222 catches and 5 stumpings

9,577 runs at an average of 53.50 in 228 ODIs, along with 176 catches and 5 stumpings

78 Twenty20 Internationals: 1,672 runs at a 26.12 average, 65 catches, and 7 stumpings

De Villiers joined the South African team in 2004 and by the conclusion of his first series, he had become a terrific wicket-keeper and had achieved his first Test century.

Following an undefeated innings of 278 against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in 2010, he went on to have a glittering career in Test cricket. Three years later, against the same opponents in Johannesburg, his 11 catches behind the stumps tied the Test record for the most wickets in a match.

In Test matches, he combined brilliant stroke play with tenacious defense to top the ICC Player Rankings. He also went on to become the number one player in the ODI format, where his quickness, agility, and cunning won him the adoring moniker "Mr 360" from supporters all over the world.

Against the West Indies in the 2015 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in Sydney, he produced two remarkable innings of 149 and 162 not out, which set explosive new records for the quickest 50, 100, and 150 in one-day international cricket.

He averaged over 50 in Tests and ODIs before retiring from all formats in 2018. Because of his unique skill set in T20Is, he was able to thrive in franchise leagues across the globe.