West Indies cricket legend Shivnarine Chanderpaul was announced as one of the new members of International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Hall of Fame on Tuesday afternoon in Australia (Monday night Caribbean Time).

He has joined the list of fellow cricketing icons who have received this prestigious honour. The ICC announced Chanderpaul will be joined in the Hall of Fame by Pakistan legendary leg-spinner Abdul Qadir and England trailblazer Charlotte Edwards.

The left-handed Chanderpaul played at the international level for over to two decades and is among the leading run-scorers in the game’s history. He made his Test debut in 1994 at age 19 against England at Bourda in his native Guyana. He played 164 Test matches – the most by a West Indian – and scored 11,867 runs at an average of 51.37, which included 30 centuries.

He also played 268 One-Day Internationals and made 8,778 runs with 11 centuries at an average of 41.60; while in 22 T20 Internationals he made 343 runs. His first-class career was outstanding with 27,545 runs in 385 matches at an average of over 53. He had 77 centuries including a career-best of 303 not out for Guyana against Jamaica.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) President and ICC Director, Ricky Skerritt, paid tribute to Chanderpaul.

“On behalf of all West Indies cricket stakeholders, I congratulate Shivnarine ‘Shiv’ Chanderpaul for receiving the highest honor of his career to date. Shiv’s story exemplifies all that is good about him and the game of cricket – his hard work, commitment, adaptability and his resulting growth and achievements on and off the field. His love for the game is unmatched, and he demonstrated throughout his two decades on the field that he was the man for all seasons.”

“From the early days in the Under-19 set-up in Guyana shiv showcased his immense batting talent. He honed his skills and worked tirelessly to become the number 1 ranked batsman in the world. He embodied the statement ‘heights of great men reach and kept were not attained by sudden flight’. Shiv toiled hard to improve and at every stage was able to re-invent his game to meet the demands. We salute Shiv for his immense contribution to West Indies cricket and world cricket.”

Chanderpaul said: “It’s an amazing honour to follow the footsteps of many legends and so many other great cricketers of the past. I’m grateful for the recognition and would like to enjoy the moment with family, friends and most importantly the West Indies cricket fans and fans around the world who passionately supported me throughout my career.”

West Indians previously inducted into The ICC Hall of Fame: Sir Curtly Ambrose, Sir Learie Constantine, Joel Garner, Lance Gibbs, Sir Gordon Greenidge, Sir Wes Hall, the Most Hon. Desmond Haynes, George Headley, Michael Holding, Rohan Kanhai, Brian Lara, Sir Clive Lloyd, Malcolm Marshall, Sir Viv Richards, Sir Andy Roberts, Sir Garry Sobers, Courtney Walsh, Sir Clyde Walcott, Sir Everton Weekes, Sir Frank Worrell.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) President, Ricky Skerritt, has paid tribute to Desmond Haynes and the late Sir Learie Constantine, who are to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame later this month. The two are among 10 cricketers from across five eras who will be inducted.

West Indies greats Desmond Haynes and Sir Learie Constantine are to be inducted into the International Cricket Council’s Hall of Fame, it was announced today. The West Indies duo is among 10 legends of the sport, who are to be inducted to celebrate the prestigious history of Test cricket and to coincide with the first-ever ICC World Test Championship Final that begins on June 21.

The players to be inducted were selected from across five eras of the game and will join the ranks of the world’s greatest players.

Haynes was recognized for his contributions during the ODI-era from 1971-1995 during which time he played 116 Tests, scored 7,487 runs at 42.29 and was one half of the most prolific opening batting partnership in Test history alongside Gordon Greenidge.

He was capable of some destructive innings and combined impeccable timing with power in his stroke-making and has played four ICC World Cups in that era.

“I have played cricket with some of the greats of the game from the West Indies who are also inducted in the ICC Hall of Fame. That team from 1978 till about the 1990s was a fantastic team. As a young boy growing up in Barbados, I never dreamt that I would be one day inducted in the ICC Hall of Fame,” Haynes said in reaction to news of his induction.

“I have really come a long way and I am very happy for this honour. The journey was not smooth, I started playing cricket in a little area of St. James in Barbados where I was loved by everyone in the community, who also helped me stay out of trouble. This is also for my grandmother, my mum and my wife, all of whom supported me in my journey.”

 Bob Willis was the other player from that ODI era selected for the honour.

Sir Learie Constantine is among the players whose greatest contributions were during the Inter-War Era Players from 1918-1945.

Sir Learie Constantine played 18 Tests, scored 635 runs at 19.24, took 58 wickets at 30.10, and can be considered the first great West Indian all-rounder, playing with a flair and freedom that was decades ahead of his time. He was a champion not only amongst players but for his people too in their political and legal fight against racial discrimination. He was also the first black member of the House of Lords.

Among the other inductees were Aubrey Faulkner and Monty Noble from the Early Cricket Era (pre-1918). Stan McCabe from the Inter-War Era; Ted Dexter and Vinoo Mankad from the Post-War Era (1946-1970); and Andy Flower and Kumar Sangakara from the Modern Cricket Era (1996-2015).

The 10 icons inducted as part of this special edition were voted for by the ICC Hall of Fame Voting Academy, comprising living Hall of Fame members, a FICA representative, prominent cricket journalists and senior ICC figures.

The ICC’s independent statistician compiles a long list of ex-players or other significant cricketing figures for each era (based on the period during which they had their most significant impact) and these are presented to the Hall of Fame Nominations Committee, together with relevant statistics and brief commentary.

The Hall of Fame Nominations Committee subsequently convenes to select six names to be shortlisted in each of the five eras noted above.

The ICC Hall of Fame Voting Academy, comprising active Hall of Fame members, a FICA representative, prominent cricket journalists and senior ICC figures, vote online to identify their selections for induction in each of the five eras.

Results produced a weighted score, against which the top two individuals in each era are inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame. In the event of a tie, the players with the most first-choice votes take priority.