Dubai: Former Indian captain Kapil Dev was inducted into the International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket Hall of Fame in front of a large audience of cricket administrators from around the world at the ICC Headquarters in Dubai on Monday.
"It is an honour to be in the company of many great cricketers," remarked a smiling Kapil after receiving the commemorative cap for the Hall of Fame from David Morgan, the President of the ICC, in the presence of Haroon Lorgat, the ICC Chief Executive.
It was an emotional moment for Kapil. Though emerging on a scene when the Indian team depended on their spinners to win matches, he shocked the world with his pace and hard-hitting batting style. He went on to captain India to victory in the 1983 World Cup.
When asked about the most glorious moment of his career, Kapil said: "The World Cup win tops the list. When we won the World Cup it moved the entire nation and inspired many youngsters. It was the greatest moment of my life."
Does he miss anyone in the Hall of Fame?
"Yes. My childhood hero G.R. Vishwanath. I am happy I am now in the company of many great players whom I looked up to when I was young like Sunil Gavaskar, Clive Lloyd, Gary Sobers and Richard Hadlee," he said.
Kapil also went on to say that he enjoyed playing alongside Ian Botham and Wasim Akram.
"It is also nice to have played along with the greats of the new generation like Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar. I am proud to have been part and parcel of this game played by some of the greats," said Kapil, who made 5,248 Test runs, including eight centuries and 27 fifties, at an average of 31.05. He also scored 3,783 ODI runs, including a top score of 175 not out which he hit against Zimbabwe during the 1983 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Lloyd, who was present during the function, said: "Kapil is a thoroughly deserved induction into the Hall of Fame.
"He was a fantastic cricketer and he was a great asset for Indian cricket during his time at the helm. He set the pace for them early on and he came to the fore and did wonderfully well he played like a true champion and was a brilliant leader."
