Cricket ke duniya mein kuch naam aise hote hain jo waqt ke saath sirf bade nahi hote, balki amar ho jate hain. Lekin jab baat ICC Hall of Fame 2025 ki aati hai, toh thodi si nirasha bhi hoti hai. Har saal ki tarah, is baar bhi kuch fans ko lagta hai ki shayad kuch aur khiladiyon ko yeh sammaan milna chahiye tha. Phir bhi, jab aap is saal ke saat naye inductees ke naam dekhte hain – MS Dhoni, Matthew Hayden, Hashim Amla, Graeme Smith, Daniel Vettori, Sarah Taylor aur Sana Mir – toh dil khush ho jata hai. Yeh khiladi na sirf apne desh ke liye balki poore cricket ke liye ek misaal rahe hain. Yeh inductions 9 June 2025 ko London ke Abbey Road Studios mein ‘A Day with the Legends’ event ke dauraan announce kiye gaye, jo World Test Championship (WTC) final se do din pehle hua.
MS Dhoni: Captain Cool ka Amar Safar
MS Dhoni ka naam cricket ke itihas mein sunehre akshar mein likha gaya hai. Ek aisa khiladi jo pressure mein bhi shant rehkar match ka rukh badal deta tha. Dhoni ne India ko teen bade ICC trophies dilaye – 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ODI World Cup aur 2013 Champions Trophy. Unka woh iconic helicopter shot, jo 2011 World Cup final mein Sri Lanka ke khilaaf match jeetne wala run banaya, aaj bhi har cricket fan ke dil mein basa hai. Dhoni ke stats bhi kam nahi – 90 Tests mein 4,876 runs, 350 ODIs mein 10,773 runs aur 98 T20Is mein 1,617 runs, saath hi 829 dismissals as a wicketkeeper. Unhone na sirf batting aur wicketkeeping mein kamal kiya, balki apni captaincy se ek nayi generation ke khiladiyon jaise Rohit Sharma aur Virat Kohli ko taiyar kiya. Dhoni ne kaha, “ICC Hall of Fame mein shamil hona ek bada sammaan hai. Itne bade khiladiyon ke saath apna naam judna ek aisa ehsaas hai jo hamesha yaad rahega.”
Matthew Hayden: Australia ka Toofani Opener
Matthew Hayden, Australia ke woh opener jinhone bowlers ke dil mein darr bitha diya. Unka aggressive batting style 2000s mein Australia ki dominance ka ek bada karan tha. 103 Tests mein 8,625 runs aur 30 centuries ke saath, Hayden ne 2007 ODI World Cup mein teen centuries thoki thi, jisme Australia ne title jeeta. Unka 380 runs ka Test score Zimbabwe ke khilaaf aaj bhi Australia ka highest individual Test score hai. Hayden ne kaha, “ICC Hall of Fame mein mere heroes aur contemporaries ke saath shamil hona ek avishwasniya ehsaas hai.” Yeh baat unke liye bilkul sahi hai, kyunki unka contribution Australia ke golden era mein shamil hai, jab Ricky Ponting aur Adam Gilchrist jaise khiladiyon ke saath unhone cricket ko ek nayi unchai di.
Hashim Amla aur Graeme Smith: South Africa ke Do Ratan
South Africa ke liye yeh ek dohra jashn tha, kyunki Hashim Amla aur Graeme Smith dono ko is saal Hall of Fame mein jagah mili. Amla, ek shant aur elegant batsman, jinhone 124 Tests mein 9,282 runs aur 181 ODIs mein 8,113 runs banaye, jisme 55 international centuries shamil hain. Unka 311* England ke khilaaf 2012 mein South Africa ka pehla Test triple century tha. Dusri taraf, Graeme Smith, jo 22 saal ki umar mein South Africa ke captain bane, unhone 109 Tests mein team ko lead kiya, jo ek world record hai. Unke leadership mein South Africa ne 2008 aur 2012 mein England aur Australia mein series jeeti. Amla ne kaha, “Graeme ke saath yeh sammaan pana South Africa ke liye gaurav ki baat hai.” Yeh dono khiladi South Africa ke cricket ke golden era ke stambh rahe, jab Jacques Kallis aur Dale Steyn jaise stars ke saath unhone team ko No.1 Test ranking tak pahunchaya.
Daniel Vettori: New Zealand ka All-Rounder Genius
Daniel Vettori, New Zealand ke former captain aur ek rare all-rounder, jinhone Tests mein 4,000 runs banaye aur 300 wickets liye, jo sirf teen khiladiyon ne kiya hai. 1997 mein 18 saal ki umar mein Test debut karne wale Vettori ne 2009 Champions Trophy mein New Zealand ko runner-up tak pahunchaya. Unka contribution na sirf field par, balki ab Australia ke assistant coach ke roop mein bhi dikh raha hai. Vettori ne kaha, “Hall of Fame ke past inductees ko dekhte hue, yeh ek bahut bada moment hai.” Unka yeh safar un dino ki yaad dilata hai jab New Zealand ke Richard Hadlee jaise legends ne cricket ko nayi pehchaan di thi.
Sarah Taylor aur Sana Mir: Women’s Cricket ke Sitare
Women’s cricket ke liye bhi yeh ek bada din tha. England ki Sarah Taylor, jinhone 232 dismissals ke saath women’s cricket mein wicketkeeping ka ek naya standard set kiya, ne 2009 mein ODI aur T20 World Cup jeetne mein badi bhumika nibhai. 2017 World Cup final mein India ke khilaaf unke 45 runs ne England ko title dilaya. Dusri taraf, Sana Mir, Pakistan ki pehli woman Hall of Famer, jinhone 120 ODIs aur 106 T20Is mein captaincy ki aur 151 ODI wickets ke saath Pakistan ke liye record banaya. Unhone 2010 aur 2014 Asian Games mein gold medals jeete. Sana ne kaha, “Ek choti si ladki ka sapna jo women’s team ke liye khelna tha, aaj yeh sammaan tak pahuncha.” In dono ne women’s cricket ko nayi unchai di, jaise Mithali Raj aur Ellyse Perry ne apne apne desh ke liye kiya.
WTC Final ka Josh
Yeh inductions World Test Championship final ke pehle ek perfect tribute hai, jo 11 June 2025 ko Lord’s mein Australia aur South Africa ke beech hoga. Yeh event ‘A Day with the Legends’ ke roop mein broadcast hua, jisme fans ko apne heroes ke saath ek nostalgic safar ka mauka mila. Jab Pat Cummins aur Temba Bavuma ki teams Lord’s mein utregi, toh yeh naye inductees ka jashn cricket ke is bade stage ko aur yaadgaar banayega. Yeh yaad dilata hai 2011 World Cup final ke us pal ka, jab Dhoni ne apna iconic shot khela, ya 2007 T20 World Cup ke final mein Pakistan ke khilaaf India ki jeet, jisme Joginder Sharma ka last over aaj bhi fans ke dil mein hai.
Ek Chhoti Si Kami
Lekin, thodi si kami bhi mehsoos hoti hai. Hall of Fame mein shamil hone ke liye players ko international cricket se retire huye paanch saal hone chahiye, jisse kuch bade naam jaise Virat Kohli ya Joe Root abhi is list mein nahi hain. Kuch fans ko lagta hai ki shayad aur kuch khiladi, jaise Anil Kumble ya VVS Laxman ke contemporaries, ko pehle yeh sammaan milna chahiye tha. Phir bhi, yeh saat naam cricket ke itihas mein ek naya adhyay jodte hain, aur inke contributions ko kabhi bhulaya nahi ja sakta. Yeh ek reminder hai ki cricket sirf ek khel nahi, balki ek aisa jashn hai jo har generation ko jodta hai.
