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[RicePlateReddy]

After the news about Hadlee's induction, I checked out who the already inducted members were. Some freebies IMO. Gower, Gooch and Underwood are there from England. In contrast, the only Indians are Bedi, Kapil and Gavaskar.

It looks like this hall of fame is controlled by the British. The Indians should have boycotted Hadlee's induction to highlight that this was an unfair charade.

http://www.catchthespirit.com/hall_of_fame/hall_of_famers.aspx

[kban1]

I was just looking at this last night.

My thought is that perhaps you have to be retired before you are inducted ? In which case, Kumble, Dravid, SRT should get a call after a certain number of years pass post retirement. And VVS, if not SG (outside shot) might be in line too.

However, the barrenness otherwise from the Indian contingent (particularly the past) is surprising.

Also, wondering how long one has to wait ? Is it 5 years post retirement ? 10 years ?  because I dont see Akram or Younis in there ?

[RicePlateReddy]

My thought is that perhaps you have to be retired before you are inducted ? In which case, Kumble, Dravid, SRT should get a call after a certain number of years pass post retirement. And VVS, if not SG (outside shot) might be in line too.

However, the barrenness otherwise from the Indian contingent (particularly the past) is surprising.

Yes, I too surmised that one has to be retired to be inducted. And SG can make a case to be there if Gower is in there. I think the bar was lowered by admitting the troika of Gooch-Gower-Underwood, clearly indicating a British bias. I suspect The Wisden controls this.

Also, wondering how long one has to wait ? Is it 5 years post retirement ? 10 years ?  because I dont see Akram or Younis in there ?

Yes, this is a little puzzling. Kapil and Imran were already there but Hadlee, their contemporary, makes it only now. It looks like there were 55 initial inductees with many drawn from the previous "FICA hall of fame".

http://www.ecb.co.uk/news/world/hall-of-fame-launched-by-icc,303675,EN.html

[CLR James]

The retirement question aside, there are several players missing here. Why is Ranji not a part of this? He was as great, if not a greater batsman than WG. If the grossly overrated Wilfred Rhodes can be a part of it, why not our Vinoo Mankad, who was any day a much better batsman, fielder, and left arm spinner? Clarie Grimmet not part of a Hall of Fame? Or Chandra? Bill Ponsford? Why is Harold Larwood here (check out his stats and then check out his stats minus the Bodyline series) and not Joel Garner or Fazal Mahmood? What about Victor Trumper, a moody genius considered by Cardus to be better than Bradman?

Frankly, if Barry Richards (not really tested in the international arena; if Gavaskar had retired after playing his first series, we would have called him Bradman) can find a place here, why not Zaheer Abbas, who has an equally good first class record, having plied the game across the cricketing world? And yes, why not Vishy?

This is a typical English attitude. Beneath the veneer of liberalism, the point is that one has to pay one's dues to the true Gentleman's game, which is played only in the country circuit. Unless the snooty lords have had a chance to evaluate you over tea and cucumber sandwiches, you do not cut it, unless of course, like Gavaskar you have broken so many records that.......

[ramshorns]

The retirement question aside, there are several players missing here. Why is Ranji not a part of this? He was as great, if not a greater batsman than WG. If the grossly overrated Wilfred Rhodes can be a part of it, why not our Vinoo Mankad, who was any day a much better batsman, fielder, and left arm spinner? Clarie Grimmet not part of a Hall of Fame? Or Chandra? Bill Ponsford? Why is Harold Larwood here (check out his stats and then check out his stats minus the Bodyline series) and not Joel Garner or Fazal Mahmood? What about Victor Trumper, a moody genius considered by Cardus to be better than Bradman?

Frankly, if Barry Richards (not really tested in the international arena; if Gavaskar had retired after playing his first series, we would have called him Bradman) can find a place here, why not Zaheer Abbas, who has an equally good first class record, having plied the game across the cricketing world? And yes, why not Vishy?

This is a typical English attitude. Beneath the veneer of liberalism, the point is that one has to pay one's dues to the true Gentleman's game, which is played only in the country circuit. Unless the snooty lords have had a chance to evaluate you over tea and cucumber sandwiches, you do not cut it, unless of course, like Gavaskar you have broken so many records that.......

Great stuff CLR.  Agree totally.  Vishy/Vinoo/Ranji ought to be there especially when as SSL pointed out Gooch and Gower and Underwood made it.

[dextrous]

One day an Indian player from the slums will get inducted and there'll be happiness everywhere