As the 2023 World Cup reaches the semifinal stage, Aravinda de Silva and Virender Sehwag have been inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame
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00:00 I'm Ayaz Nehman with the World Cup update. We know now the four semi-finalists India versus
00:04 New Zealand at the Wankhede on Wednesday and then following that is Australia versus South Africa.
00:10 I mean this was pretty much along expected lines considering how the tournament unraveled and
00:17 around the halfway stage one knew that these four teams had the strongest chance of making it to
00:23 the knockout stage and that's what has happened with a few hiccups with a few ups and downs
00:27 but not too much to kind of challenge the earlier notion. India have been on a winning streak for
00:33 nine of nine games. Australia have surged magnificently after two defeats to seven
00:38 consecutive wins. New Zealand had a bit of a you know ebb after winning their first four matches
00:45 but they made it into the semis and South Africa a little bit up and down but they've looked
00:50 magnificent when they've been when they played well. So that's how it goes. I want you know I
00:55 mean it's been discussed threadbare India versus New Zealand, Australia versus South Africa but
01:01 what I want to focus on today is the cricketers named in the ICC Hall of Fame. I know this is
01:07 not part of the tournament per se but it's important it's come at this juncture. There is
01:12 the winners or if you don't know the people who've been nominated there's Diana Adelji
01:19 former India captain perhaps the most renowned woman cricketer from India at one time amongst
01:26 the best spinners in the world and also part of the you know the committee which had been
01:31 formed by the Supreme Court in India to monitor the work of the BCCI. She was part of that
01:36 committee too. Then there is Aravinda De Silva the Sri Lankan former captain magnificent player
01:42 maestro at work his century in the 1996 final is something that I can't forget at all and before
01:47 that of course he made a half century in the semi-final against India at Eden Gardens which
01:52 pushed India out of out of the tournament. And then the third player Veeru Sehwag who changed
01:58 brought about a paradigm shift in the way you know test cricket or at least the openers play in test
02:04 cricket. I would say in fact you know generally with his daredevilry with the bat I can think of
02:13 only two batsmen who put the fear of God in bowlers opposing bowlers in my whatever I've
02:18 watched cricket one was Viv Richards bowlers used to fear him opposing captains would fear Viv
02:22 and bowlers and opposing captains would fear Veeran Sehwag because he could just demolish
02:29 any attack and do it with a degree of nonchalance and arrogance which and comfort which very few
02:37 possessed. So three two double centuries two triple centuries beg your pardon to to Veeru
02:42 Sehwag's credit it just shows you the kind of player he was 8000 plus runs almost 50 the batting
02:48 average with a high risk game. Aravinda De Silva I think you know a lot of Sri Lankan cricket talk
02:55 currently is about Jai Vardhane and Sangakara but I think those who watched Aravinda bat will
03:02 perhaps vouch and I would say that there was no better or more accomplished batsman than him
03:08 in terms of technique very compact player and very aggressive he was called Mad Max for the reason
03:15 that he could turn the game around on its head and you know change gears when he wanted and then
03:20 Diana Adelty need I say magnificent left arm bowler and a very strong voice for women's cricket and
03:26 for cricket in general no nonsense lady who's fought her own battles fought her battles on her
03:32 own terms and more or less emerged successful somebody who kept the flag flying for women's
03:39 cricket when it was impoverished and in trouble Diana Adelty was the lady who pushed for women's
03:46 cricket consistently so I think it's a great thing that all three of them Aravinda De Silva,
03:51 Diana Adelty and Veeru Sehwag are inducted in the ICC Hall of Fame.
03:57 you
03:57 you
03:58 you
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