Cricket Australia has inducted former fast bowler Merv Hughes into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame and described him as a "larrikin who demolished batting line-ups all over the world".
Making his Test debut in 1985 and ODI debut in 1988, Merv Hughes scalped 250 wickets in a career spanning 53 Tests and 33 ODIs for Australia from 1985 to 1994.
His career-best figures of 8-87 against the West Indies at the WACA in 1988 included the final wicket of a hat-trick spread across three separate overs, two innings, and two different days.
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Later in 2005, Hughes became a selector for the Australian cricket team and continued for five years.
Following Hughes’s successful international career Australian Cricket Hall of Fame chairman Peter King said that Hughes deserved that inductee into the Hall of Fame.
"Merv Hughes was an icon of the Australian summer for so many of us, a larger-than-life personality, a wonderful international cricketer, an ambassador for the sport, and a deserved inductee into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame.
He has left his legacy on the sport in post-career mentorship with modern-day teams, administration roles as a National Selector, and the heartbeat of Australian cricket. The Australian Cricket Hall of Fame is delighted to recognize Merv Hughes,” Peter King, the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame Chairman, said in a statement.
Cricket Australia chairman Earl Eddings also heaped praise on Merv Hughes and said that Hughes gave his everything to help the team win and added that he couldn't think of a more well-deserved inductee in the Hall of Fame.
"He gave everything he had to try and help his team to win, coupled with his enthusiastic theatrics on the pitch and his love for the game he will always be warmly remembered as the big-hearted fast-bowler and larrikin who demolished batting line-ups all over the world.
I couldn't think of a more well-deserved inductee into the Australian Cricket Hall of fame, who now joins an elite group of individuals who have given so much to the game we all love." said cricket Australia chairman Earl Eddings.
However, replying to his inductee into the Hall of the Fame Merv Hughes took to his Twitter and said "Absolutely stoked and blown away by this!!.”
(PTI Inputs)
