The International Cricket Council (ICC) listed three New Zealand cricketers, including Sir Richard Hadlee, Debbie Hockley, and the late Martin Crowe, as Australians in their Hall of Fame. The ICC has faced widespread backlash for this error within the cricketing community.
Some fans noticed a significant error in the Hall of Fame profiles of three New Zealand legends, whose nationalities were incorrectly listed as Australian. Despite the profiles being finely crafted with no errors, the presence of Australian flags next to their names drew criticism.
Former New Zealand all-rounder Sir Richard Hadlee was inducted when the Hall was established in 2009, while Debbie Hockley, the long-serving White Ferns captain, was inducted in 2014. The batting great Martin Crowe followed suit a year later, in 2015.
Just Hope Somebody Can Correct It – Richard Hadlee
Richard Hadlee expressed his unawareness of the mistake and hoped for its correction, emphasizing that he, Crowe, and Hockley are New Zealand nationals.
“We come from New Zealand, I just hope somebody can correct it, so that’s all I’d say on the matter. I’m too old to get involved in these sorts of things. People know that Martin, Debbie, and myself are all from New Zealand so it’s not an issue for me,” Hadlee told RNZ.
Martin Crowe, considered one of New Zealand’s greatest batters, scored 5444 test runs to his name. The former Kiwis batter held the record for the highest Test individual score, with 299 against Sri Lanka, later surpassed by Brendon McCullum’s 302 against India.
“Arguably New Zealand’s greatest batsman, Martin Crowe led the line for the Black Caps for 13 years. His 299 was the highest Test score by a Kiwi for over a decade, and he led the side to a semi-final appearance at the 1992 ICC Cricket World Cup,” read Crowe’s profile.
Those dirty, filthy Aussies are trying to claim the Great NZer Martin Crowe as an Australian in the ICC Hall of Fame! pic.twitter.com/JxBtHEZxyh
— The ACC (@TheACCnz) February 7, 2024
Hadlee, who holds New Zealand’s record for most test wickets and scored 3124 runs, was mistakenly listed as Australian, and there was also a notable omission regarding his knighthood. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest all-rounders of his generation.
“One of the greatest fast bowlers of all time, Richard Hadlee spearheaded New Zealand’s attack for 17 years. He was the first bowler to reach 400 Test wickets, and finished with 431 Test wickets at an outstanding average of 22.29, with 36 5-wicket hauls,” Hadlee’s profile read.
Why does the @ICC Hall of Fame list Sir Richard Hadlee and Martin Crowe as being Australian?! The Hall of Fame dropdown menu of teams doesn’t even include NZ! pic.twitter.com/v5yGmWV8Yw
— Thomas Cranmer (@CranmerWrites) February 6, 2024
Debbie Hockley, with 118 ODIs and over 4000 runs, was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2014, making her the fourth woman to receive this prestigious honor. She made history by becoming the first female president of New Zealand Cricket in 2016.
“A giant in New Zealand women’s cricket, Debbie Hockley had a prolific international career. In Tests, she scored 1,301 runs at an average of 52.04, while in ODIs, she scored 4,064 runs at an average of 41.89,” was written on his profile with the same glaring error.
