'Changed the face of cricket': ICC pays tribute to Hall of Famer Adam Gilchrist, Ashwin, Vaughan, and Akram chip in
Former Australia wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013, was praised by several cricketers from both the past and the present.'Changed the face of cricket': ICC pays tribute to Hall of Famer Adam Gilchrist, Ashwin, Vaughan, and Akram chip in
The International Cricket Council continues to celebrate its Hall of Fame inductees through a social media series. Throughout the month of May, the ICC releases a video clip on multiple platforms, highlighting and celebrating some of the most magnificent cricketing careers. The last clip released on Monday was on legendary Australia wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist.
The southpaw, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013, was praised by several cricketers from both the past and the present. Former England captain Michael Vaughan made an interesting observation while paying a tribute to the Aussie great, saying: "Adam Gilchrist will always go down as the guy that made all the wicketkeepers around the world go 'oh no' because they all had to bat like him. He changed the face of cricket. Every No. 7 in the world had to be a keeper who could bat like Adam Gilchrist. The ability to go out at 100-5 and take the opposition down and do exactly the same at 300-5, opening the batting in one-day cricket, pretty much swinging with control and setting the tone... A very very good gloveman, clever chirper behind the stumps, not abusive or aggressive but clever."
India's season off-spinner R. Ashwin called Gilchrist a great ambassador of the game.
"The minute you say Adam Gilchrist, the one thing that strikes is the fact that he was very honest and how he walked whenever he nicked the ball. I think in the eyes of kids and people who watched the game, he'll always be the ambassador of the sport who actually glorified this game as a gentleman's game.
Gilchrist's Sri Lankan counterpart Kumar Sangakkara described him as a 'pioneer'," said Ashwin.
"Adam Gilchrist was a pioneer. He attacked both spin and pace and he played spin really well which was rare."
Wasim Akram elaborated on how difficult it was to bowl against Adam Gilchrist as a fast bowler. He said: "If you pitch him short, he'll play a pull shot, if you bowl slightly wide, he'll play a cut shot, and if you try to adjust your length and slightly pitch it up a bit, he'll hit you straight [up]."
Cricketer-turned-commentator Gilchrist scored over 15,000 runs across format in 396 international innings. His feat included 81 fifties and 33 centuries. Moreover, he affected a record 905 dismissals as a wicketkeeper. After 12 stellar years, he bid adieu to the game in 2008.
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