 "Rahul Dravid")
Former India captain Rahul Dravid was on Thursday inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame at a brief function ahead of the fifth and final ODI between India and the West Indies at Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.
With this, the former skipper has become the fifth Indian after Bishan Bedi, Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Anil Kumble, to be bestowed with a Hall of Fame cap.
Legendary opener Sunil Gavaskar presided over the formalities.
The ICC, on July 2, announced his induction into the Hall of Fame.
Dravid aggregated 13,288 runs in 164 Tests with 36 centuries and 10,889 runs in 344 ODIs with 12 centuries, and was in 2004 named as the ICC Cricketer of the Year as well as the ICC Test Player of the Year.
Dravid, who played a solitary Twenty20 International, was also a brilliant slip fielder and finished his Test career in 2012 with 210 catches, which is a world record.
"It is a matter of great honour to be named by the ICC in the Cricket Hall of Fame. To find your name in a list of all-time greats across generations is something one only dreams of while setting out on a cricket career and the kind of recognition that would delight any player," Dravid was quoted as saying in an ICC media release after the induction.
Dravid further thanked all his co-players, coaches and officials for their support and guidance.
"I have enjoyed each and every moment of my association with them, as together we not only set big targets but achieved most of them," he added
While presenting the award, the former chairman of the ICC committee congratulated Dravid and said, "Welcome to the ICC Hall of Fame, you fully deserve it. You have been the conscience of Indian cricket and international cricket. Continue with all the great work that you have done and keep on doing it."
Dravid was named in the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame along with Australia men's legend Ricky Ponting and England women's stalwart Claire Taylor during the ICC Annual Conference in Dublin in July.
However, Dravid was earlier failed to attend the induction ceremony due to a coaching assignment with the India 'A' side.
Presently, Dravid is in charge of the India U-19 and India 'A' teams as a coach.
