Sachin lauds ICC Hall of Famers Cook, Neetu, AB for "immense contribution" to cricket

Legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar extended his congratulations to former England batting great Alastair Cook, Indian women's cricket legend Neetu David and South African batting legend AB de Villiers for their induction to the ICC Hall of Fame recently. Sachin took to X, lauding these three stars for their immense contributions to the "beloved game".

Sachin lauded Cook for redefining "patience and resilience as a Test opener" and called Neetu as the "true legend of Indian women's cricket" for her in-field and off-the-field contributions. He also commended De Villiers for transforming the modern batting with his 360-hitting style.

"Three incredible cricketers, each having made immense contributions to our beloved game, have been inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame. Alastair Cook redefined patience and resilience as a Test opener, while Neetu David is a true legend of Indian women's cricket, both on and off the field. AB de Villiers revolutionised modern batting with his innovative 360-degree style. Congratulations to all of them!," said Sachin.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday announced England batting great Alastair Cook, Indian bowling legend Neetu David and South African legend AB de Villiers, also known as 'Mr 360', as the newest members of the ICC Hall of Fame.

Cook, with 12,472 runs in 161 Tests and 35 centuries, cemented his legacy as one of the finest to pick up a bat, while Neetu became only second Indian woman to be a part of this elite company, besides Diana Edulji. De Villiers also added a big feather to his cricketing journey with the induction.

One of the finest opening batters in the history of Test cricket, Cook further cements his cricketing legacy by winning a place in the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. Known for his patience, technique, and unwavering focus, Cook's international career spanned for more than 12 years, during which he redefined consistency as a Test opener and broke plenty of records along the way.

Cook retired as England's all-time leading run-scorer and is still ranked among the top six in the world even six years after his retirement. Cook's career is marked by numerous accolades, including his pivotal role in England's two greatest overseas victories in recent times: the 2010-11 Ashes triumph and the 2012 Test series win in India.

Recognized for his outstanding leadership, Cook captained England for several years, guiding them to a host of notable series wins abroad. His mental toughness and resilience were particularly evident during his career, highlighted by his 159 consecutive Test appearances, a world record for the most consecutive Test matches played.

Neetu is the second woman from India to make it into the ICC Hall of Fame following the induction of Diana Edulji in 2023 and it should come as no surprise given the mark she has made on cricket in her country both on and off the field.

A prolific spinner with more than 100 appearances for her country, David is the second-highest wicket-taker for India in women's ODI cricket with 141 scalps and was also the first female player from India to claim 100 ODI wickets.

David's biggest claim to fame during her illustrious playing career was her spell of 8/53 in a Test against England in 1995, which has stood the test of time as it still remains the best figures by a woman in an individual Test innings.

Able to score around the ground with a full array of shots against all types of bowlers, De Villiers is regarded as both one of the most innovative and destructive batters in the modern game and a deserved member of the ICC Hall of Fame.

De Villiers made a lasting impact during a 14-year international career, scoring more than 20,000 international runs across all three formats, while also being revered as one of the greatest fielders to grace the game.

Boasting the fastest-ever men's ODI century, multiple ICC Men's ODI Player of the Year Awards and selected in the ICC Test Team of the Year on numerous occasions, de Villiers was also a leading player in the game's shortest format during its formative years as an international format.

Exiting from international cricket in 2018, de Villiers finished with a batting average of more than 50 in both Test and ODI cricket, with Jacques Kallis the only other South African player to boast more than de Villiers' 20,014 international runs. (ANI)