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While being hired and fired by selectors is part of the territory for captains, it is rarer for them to actually drop themselves, all the more so when on tour, where their role is significantly more important than during home series. On the rare occasions that captains have stood down, it has usually been masked as being because of injury or illness, as was the case with Wally Hammond in Australia in 1946-47. But in 1974-75 Mike Denness, England's captain on a particularly unsuccessful Ashes tour, dropped himself for the fourth Test in Sydney.

Denness had been a controversial choice as Ray Illingworth's successor as England captain in September 1973, with critics claiming that he wasn't a good enough batsman to justify a place in the side. In nine Tests - all but one the previous winter - he had hardly set the world alight, and had not been chosen for any matches in 1973. However, he led England to a creditable draw in the Caribbean in 1973-74 although his captaincy and ability against pace was heavily criticised. A decent summer against a weak Indian team and Pakistan in 1974 did little to quell the disquiet.

In Australia the following winter, England were blown away by the unexpectedly fearsome pace attack of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson. In the first three Tests only Tony Greig had made a hundred, none of the batsmen were in any kind of form, and the injury list was long. Denness, whose weakness against top-class fast bowling was cruelly exposed, managed only 65 runs in six innings, and the British press quickly turned on him with venom remarkable even by their standards.

The beleaguered Denness, who had suffered from ill health during the early weeks of the tour, was described as "and embarrassment to his side", and "a captain isolated". The Sunday Times even suggested he return home for the good of the team. Faced with daily opprobrium off the pitch and a battering on it, is was hardly surprising that Denness felt the pressure.

The idea of stepping down first occurred to him as early as the second Test at Perth. After the third Test at Melbourne - a close and low-scoring draw - he admitted that he lay down in his hotel and realised that runs were needed and he was not the man to get them. He said that he felt he had succeeded as a captain but failed as a player. In his book about the tour - Assault on the Ashes - Christopher Martin-Jenkins agreed. "As so many of us expected, he had been 'found out' in Australia by very fast bowling. He was not the only one: but he looked the least likely to make the alteration in his method which was essential."

Years later Denness reflected that Lillee and Thomson were "in the ascendancy all the time … it was very difficult to get runs. You got maybe two balls an over to try and score from. There were players who said they'd wear them down. Greig said he was just going to get out of line and try to under-cut the ball. None of which really worked."

"If Denness were to bat against this Australia side until Christmas I would not back him to make a hundred," wrote Henry Blofeld in the Guardian on January 3 in a scathing article calling for him to stand down.

Far better batsmen than Denness were left floundering. In 1974 Dennis Amiss came within two runs of breaking the record for the most Test runs in a calendar year. But in Australia his form fell apart and by the middle of 1975 he was out of the side. "There was no respite," he said. "They were in your face the whole time."

Keith Fletcher, who had been dropped in Melbourne after only 40 runs in the first two Tests, was less impressed with Denness's captaincy. He observed that the team "did not have a regard for him as a captain and ... they felt he should not have been in the side in the first place".

But Denness wanted to bring in Fletcher - who had looked in form despite his lack of runs - for a must-win game (England were 2-0 down with three to play). "I made the decision without consulting anyone else at all," he recalled. When Alec Bedser, the tour manager, dropped in for his regular early-morning chat with Denness, the bombshell was delivered. Bedser, Denness recalled, thought it was wrong but agreed that it was down to him and him alone.

The team was informed and John Edrich was named as Denness's replacement. Reaction was mixed. Tony Greig, who replaced Denness the following summer, said that the decision "showed a courage that demanded admiration"; Fletcher regarded it as "a sign of weakness" and would have preferred Denness to have fought his way out of a bad patch; Fred Titmus, the veteran offspinner, was surprised and commented that any player should "believe in his own ability ... or not be out there".

The press were more welcoming, although some of the same journalists who had been calling for Denness's head accused him of taking the easy way out. The public was more sympathetic, although he wryly told of one letter which was simply addressed to "Mike Denness, Cricketer". "If this letter reaches you," it said, "the Post Office think more of you than I do".

Denness could only watch as Edrich led England onto the SCG. "It is difficult to describe how I felt," he later wrote. "It was probably a mixed feeling of despair, sadness and frustration. If I had had my leg in plaster or my arm in a sling, it would have been different, but I was fully fit."

He sat out a bad-tempered match which Australia won by 171 runs, and, in doing so, ensured they regained the Ashes. Fletcher scored 24 and 11, Edrich was struck by Lillee and broke his ribs, although he returned after retiring hurt in a vain bid to save the game.

Edrich's injury meant that Denness returned for the fifth Test, and although England again lost, he top-scored in the first innings with 51. Suggestions that he was not good enough against the best bowling were underlined by his success at the end of the tour. In the sixth Test, Australia were without Thomson and Lillee broke down after six overs, Denness hammered 188, the then-highest score by an England captain in Australia. In the two Tests against New Zealand that followed he made 181 not out and 59.

In matches against West Indies and a full-strength Australia he scored 372 runs at 19.58 with two fifties; against all other opposition he made 1295 runs at 56.30, including five fifties and four hundreds.

Denness's reprieve was brief. He led England in the 1975 World Cup when they lost in the semi-finals to, inevitably, Australia, and was appointed for the first Test of the summer only, also against Australia. He won the toss and, in what The Cricketer described as "one of the game's great disasters", put Australia in under a leaden sky. They made 359, and then England were blown away twice by Lillee, Thomson and Max Walker on a rain-affected pitch to lose by an innings. Much as he had done in Australia, it was again Denness who suggested to the selectors that a change might be good. They agreed, and this time there was no way back.

Is there an incident from the past you would like to know more about? E-mail us with your comments and suggestions.

Bibliography
I Declare - Mike Denness (Arthur Baker, 1977)
Assault On The Ashes - Christopher Martin-Jenkins (MacDonald & Jamesl, 1975)
Ashes To Ashes - Keith Fletcher (Headline, 2005)
The Cricketer -Various

The seeds of cricket were sown across the world in the 19th century as the British Empire expanded, with settlers, civil servants and the military taking the game abroad with them and gradually, often reluctantly, allowing the native population to join in.

In southern Africa the first reference to the game was in 1808, and by the middle of the century it had spread from its early base in the Cape and had even permeated areas traditionally associated with Afrikaners, not naturally a cricket-playing people.

One army officer who was based in the Cape was Captain Gardner Warton. He joined the general staff in 1883 and became a member of the established Western Province Cricket Club, which was captained by William Milton.

In 1888, Warton, by then a major, returned to England. Before he left Africa he hatched a plan to raise an English team to tour the Cape. After a summer of activity, Warton announced he had a side, and his squad set sail on the SS Garth Castle on November 21.

The side was judged to be of about average county strength, although for three amateurs - the Hon Charles Coventry, Basil Grieve and Emile McMaster - their Test appearances on the tour constituted their entire first-class career and only seven of the others could be considered county regulars. The captain was Charles Aubrey Smith, a decent medium-pacer from Sussex.

They brought with them a cup donated by Sir Donald Currie, the ship's owner, to be presented to the side "which excels the most against the visitors". That turned out to be Kimberley, who in turn decided the trophy should be played for by other teams. The Currie Cup was to become South Africa's major domestic trophy.

Aubrey Smith's party arrived to a warm reception in Cape Town on December 14, and a week later took the field for their first match against XXII of Western Province. It was customary in those days for a touring XI to take on teams made up of up to twice as many players, such was the perceived gap in abilities and experience. But to general surprise, Western Province won by 17 runs.

That set the tone, and the early games caught the English on the hop with four defeats in six outings. They found matting pitches took time and when they headed away from the Cape they encountered pitches with no grass, simply clay sprinkled with salt to absorb moisture. Even Wisden suggested the early poor performances were as much to do with lavish hospitality as any on-field factors and they had a point - one banquet in Kimberley went on so long that none of the players managed to get to bed before heading to the ground. As the local press started complaining the tourists were too weak, the side's fortunes turned and after four defeats in the first six matches it was one-way traffic.

There was also concern at reports of the money being earned by the tourists, many of whom were supposedly amateur. Coventry, certainly an amateur, received £70 for the highest score by an amateur against XV of Transvaal. Bobby Abel reaped the biggest single reward, £200 for one innings in Johannesburg, but at least he was openly a professional.

Officially, the tour lost money, but most of those involved did well. However, the shrewd organisers had secured the guarantee of Cecil Rhodes to make good any losses.

By February, there was a demand for an even-side game, and it was duly arranged at St George's Park in Port Elizabeth starting on March 12. It was generally agreed that the side picked by the locals was about as good as was available. While this is now accepted as the first Test played by South Africa, at the time it was not considered anything more than another tour match, and was marketed as such. Posters advertising the contest highlighted it as Major Warton's XI v South Africa XI. It was only years later that it was accorded Test status. Even Wisden pointed out "it was never intended, or considered necessary, to take out a representative English team for a first trip to the Cape".

Played on a green matting pitch in front of a crowd of around 3000, South Africa's captain Owen Dunell won the toss and chose to bat. Johnny Briggs (4 for 39) strangled the top order and Aubrey Smith (5 for 19) then weighed in as the home side were bowled out for 84. England found things equally hard after a good start, slipping from 65 for 2 to 103 for 9 before a last-wicket stand between Arthur Fothergill and Grieve helped them to 148 by the close. On the second day the South Africans again failed to settle, and set 66 to win, England eased home by eight wickets at 3.30pm.

After a drawn three-day match in Kimberley, the teams reassembled in Cape Town for the second "Test". England made one change. Aubrey Smith, who had gone down with enteric fever in Johannesburg, was unable to play and was replaced by Monty Bowden.

The match was hopelessly one sided. England made 292, anchored around 120 from Abel, and then skittled South Africa out on the second day for 47 and 43. Briggs was devastating, taking 7 for 17 and 8 for 11, all but one of his 15 wickets were bowled.

Most of the squad then returned home on the SS Garth Castle, arriving back in England on April 16, but England's two captains, Aubrey Smith and Bowden, remained to set up a stockbrokers in Johannesburg. Aubrey Smith made his first stage appearance while in the city, eventually heading to America via England where he established himself as a leading Hollywood actor.

Bowden, however, was an altogether sadder story. At 23 years 144 days, he was and remains England's youngest captain, but he never even knew he had represented his country, or even saw his homeland again. In 1891 he headed north with Rhodes where he was incorrectly reported to have been killed. Not long after he was found to be alive, he did die, in a remote a mud hut in Umtali. The final indignity was that his body had to be protected from marauding lions - prior to being interred - in a coffin made from whisky cases.

While modern statisticians are happy to regard Warton's tour as the dawn of Test cricket in South Africa, Bowden's Wisden obituary gives the best indication of how it was regarded at the time. It never even mentioned he had captained the touring side, let alone gave the slightest indication he might have been deemed to have played for England.

Is there an incident from the past you would like to know more about? Email rewind@cricinfo.com with your comments and suggestions.

Bibliography
England On Tour by Peter Wynne Thomas (Hamlyn, 1982)

Player	Span	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50	0
SR Tendulkar (India)	1989-2010	442	431	41	17598	200*	45.12	20401	86.26	46	93	20
ST Jayasuriya (Asia/SL)	1989-2009	444	432	18	13428	189	32.43	14719	91.22	28	68	34
RT Ponting (Aus/ICC)	1995-2010	345	336	37	12895	164	43.12	15976	80.71	29	78	19
Inzamam-ul-Haq (Asia/Pak)	1991-2007	378	350	53	11739	137*	39.52	15812	74.24	10	83	20
SC Ganguly (Asia/India)	1992-2007	311	300	23	11363	183	41.02	15416	73.70	22	72	16
R Dravid (Asia/ICC/India)	1996-2009	339	313	40	10765	153	39.43	15124	71.17	12	82	13
JH Kallis (Afr/ICC/SA)	1996-2010	298	284	52	10613	139	45.74	14657	72.40	17	75	15
BC Lara (ICC/WI)	1990-2007	299	289	32	10405	169	40.48	13086	79.51	19	63	16
Mohammad Yousuf (Asia/Pak)	1998-2010	282	267	40	9624	141*	42.39	12805	75.15	15	64	15
AC Gilchrist (Aus/ICC)	1996-2008	287	279	11	9619	172	35.89	9922	96.94	16	55	19
M Azharuddin (India)	1985-2000	334	308	54	9378	153*	36.92	12669	74.02	7	58	9
PA de Silva (SL)	1984-2003	308	296	30	9284	145	34.90	11443	81.13	11	64	17
Saeed Anwar (Pak)	1989-2003	247	244	19	8824	194	39.21	10938	80.67	20	43	15
DPMD Jayawardene (Asia/SL)	1998-2010	317	298	30	8702	128	32.47	11293	77.05	12	52	24
DL Haynes (WI)	1978-1994	238	237	28	8648	152*	41.37	13707	63.09	17	57	13
MS Atapattu (SL)	1990-2007	268	259	32	8529	132*	37.57	12594	67.72	11	59	13
ME Waugh (Aus)	1988-2002	244	236	20	8500	173	39.35	11053	76.90	18	50	16
S Chanderpaul (WI)	1994-2010	256	240	38	8390	150	41.53	11793	71.14	10	57	5
KC Sangakkara (Asia/ICC/SL)	2000-2010	267	250	27	8152	138*	36.55	10840	75.20	10	55	9
HH Gibbs (SA)	1996-2010	248	240	16	8094	175	36.13	9721	83.26	21	37	22
SP Fleming (ICC/NZ)	1994-2007	280	269	21	8037	134*	32.40	11242	71.49	8	49	17
CH Gayle (ICC/WI)	1999-2010	215	210	15	7757	153*	39.77	9271	83.66	19	42	20
SR Waugh (Aus)	1986-2002	325	288	58	7569	120*	32.90	9971	75.91	3	45	15
A Ranatunga (SL)	1982-1999	269	255	47	7456	131*	35.84	9570	77.91	4	49	18
Javed Miandad (Pak)	1975-1996	233	218	41	7381	119*	41.70	11014	67.01	8	50	8
Yuvraj Singh (Asia/India)	2000-2010	250	230	32	7345	139	37.09	8264	88.87	12	43	13
Saleem Malik (Pak)	1982-1999	283	256	38	7170	102	32.88	9383	76.41	5	47	19
V Sehwag (Asia/ICC/India)	1999-2010	221	215	8	7091	146	34.25	6850	103.51	12	35	11
NJ Astle (NZ)	1995-2007	223	217	14	7090	145*	34.92	9760	72.64	16	41	19
MG Bevan (Aus)	1994-2004	232	196	67	6912	108*	53.58	9320	74.16	6	46	5
G Kirsten (SA)	1993-2003	185	185	19	6798	188*	40.95	9436	72.04	13	45	11
A Flower (Zim)	1992-2003	213	208	16	6786	145	35.34	9097	74.59	4	55	13
IVA Richards (WI)	1975-1991	187	167	24	6721	189*	47.00	7451	90.20	11	45	7
Ijaz Ahmed (Pak)	1986-2000	250	232	29	6564	139*	32.33	8174	80.30	10	37	14
GW Flower (Zim)	1992-2004	219	212	18	6536	142*	33.69	9677	67.54	6	40	18
AR Border (Aus)	1979-1994	273	252	39	6524	127*	30.62	9134	71.42	3	39	11
RB Richardson (WI)	1983-1996	224	217	30	6248	122	33.41	9801	63.74	5	44	8
ML Hayden (Aus/ICC)	1993-2008	161	155	15	6133	181*	43.80	7767	78.96	10	36	9
DM Jones (Aus)	1984-1994	164	161	25	6068	145	44.61	8362	72.56	7	46	6
DC Boon (Aus)	1984-1995	181	177	16	5964	122	37.04	9157	65.13	5	37	6
Shahid Afridi (Asia/ICC/Pak)	1996-2010	293	275	18	5957	109	23.17	5335	111.65	4	30	24
JN Rhodes (SA)	1992-2003	245	220	51	5935	121	35.11	7336	80.90	2	33	12
Rameez Raja (Pak)	1985-1997	198	197	15	5841	119*	32.09	9226	63.31	9	31	15
Younis Khan (Pak)	2000-2010	202	196	19	5765	144	32.57	7633	75.52	6	37	18
CL Hooper (WI)	1987-2003	227	206	43	5761	113*	35.34	7517	76.63	7	29	7
GC Smith (Afr/SA)	2002-2009	149	147	9	5613	141	40.67	6755	83.09	8	41	8
WJ Cronje (SA)	1992-2000	188	175	31	5565	112	38.64	7277	76.47	2	39	8
MS Dhoni (Asia/India)	2004-2010	162	143	37	5420	183*	51.13	6031	89.86	7	35	5
A Jadeja (India)	1992-2000	196	179	36	5359	119	37.47	7677	69.80	6	30	10
DR Martyn (Aus)	1992-2006	208	182	51	5346	144*	40.80	6877	77.73	5	37	10
MJ Clarke (Aus)	2003-2010	173	157	32	5289	130	42.31	6828	77.46	4	40	9
ADR Campbell (Zim)	1992-2003	188	184	14	5185	131*	30.50	7834	66.18	7	30	11
RS Mahanama (SL)	1986-1999	213	198	23	5162	119*	29.49	8519	60.59	4	35	15
Shoaib Malik (Pak)	1999-2010	190	170	21	5141	143	34.50	6522	78.82	7	31	10
CG Greenidge (WI)	1975-1991	128	127	13	5134	133*	45.03	7908	64.92	11	31	3
A Symonds (Aus)	1998-2009	198	161	33	5088	156	39.75	5504	92.44	6	30	15

International cricket is a leader in the fight against corruption in sports and it needs to remain so. Betting on cricket in the legal and illegal markets continues to grow rapidly and, with many, many millions of dollars changing hands on every match, the threat of corruptors seeking to influence the game has not gone away. It is for these reasons that the ICC's Anti Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) continues to pursue the three objectives of investigation, education, and prevention.

The unit was set up in 2000 following a corruption crisis which represented the gravest challenge it had faced since the Packer Revolution of the 1970s and the Bodyline series of the 1930s. Cricket's reputation and integrity were tarnished and in danger of being destroyed.

Decisive action was called for in the wake of match-fixing allegations and revelations about South Africa captain Hansie Cronje and the captains of India and Pakistan, Mohammed Azharuddin and Salim Malik. Eventually all three were banned for life from international cricket. Other players were suspended, fined and warned about their future conduct following judicial and Board enquiries in several major cricket countries.

Its first Terms of Reference covered the three-year period up to the end of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003 in South Africa. Those original Terms have been reviewed and amended to recognise the wider role now required. With effect from July 2003, the Anti-Corruption Unit was renamed as the ICC Anti-Corruption and Security Unit.

The change in nomenclature was slight but appropriate as the Unit took on a broader mandate that gave equal weight to the prevention and investigation of corruption.

Its two principal roles are:

ANTI-CORRUPTION


* To assist the ICC Code of Conduct Commission ('the Commission') and the Members of ICC in the eradication of conduct of a corrupt nature prejudicial to the interests of the game of cricket; and to provide a professional, permanent and secure infrastructure to act as a long term deterrent to conduct of a corrupt nature prejudicial to the interests of the game of cricket.


SAFETY & SECURITY


* To evaluate safety and security assessments and intelligence in order to provide advice to the ICC Chief Executive and/or the Executive Board of the ICC ('the Executive Board') in relation to: (a) any event or competition organised by the ICC; and (b) the provision of match officials for FTP commitments


Lord Condon, formerly Director of the ACU, now leads the Unit as Chairman. He acts in consultation with ICC Chief Executive, Haroon Lorgat. Day-to-day operational responsibility rests with the General Manager and Chief Investigator.

The Anti-Corruption and Security Unit is an operating division of the ICC Code of Conduct Commission, which is chaired by Michael Beloff QC.
Allegations of corrupt activity are probed thoroughly by the Unit's Investigators, sometimes with the assistance of Police Officers. In support of their efforts, the ACSU's Information Manager continues to build an international network of contacts in both the legal and illegal markets so that where concerns are raised, the Unit is able to activate these relationships and effectively investigate allegations.

All players and officials that take part in the top level of international cricket pass through the ACSU's education programme.

As part of the education process, players are given details of the ways in which corruptors may seek to 'groom' them from an early age as well as the penalties that exist - not just for fixing all or part of a match but also for accepting money, benefit or other reward for the provision of information or failing to disclose the inappropriate conduct of others.

The five Regional Security Managers coordinate the ACSU's prevention measures. These experienced law enforcement professionals are present at every international series to ensure that strict anti-corruption protocols are enforced at all venues, particularly around the dressing room areas.

A firmer and more practical anti-doping code has been approved for implementation by the ICC as cricket continues the fight to ensure the sport is free of banned substances.

The code, which comes into effect on 1 January 2009, was recently given unanimous approval by all members of the ICC Board, indicating the overwhelming level of support the code has within the ICC membership.

The adoption of this strengthened ICC Anti-Doping Code coincides with the amendment of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code, making sure that cricket plays its part in the global fight against drugs in sport.

Consistent with the WADA Code, the new ICC Anti-Doping Code gives more flexibility to any hearing panel appointed in terms of the sanctions and penalties that may be imposed against players who test positive for a banned substance.

Critically, it also means that international cricketers must be available for testing at any time, any day of the year, whether it is at ICC events, bilateral series or even out of competition.

"The ICC has a zero-tolerance approach to doping in cricket and this new code serves to reinforce that position," said ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat.

"This code means it has just become even harder for drug cheats to get away with doping practices and it is part of our continued battle to ensure fair competition for all," said Mr Lorgat.

"The code is a living document which is constantly evolving to meet the changing needs of cricket and modern sport in general. To this end, and in line with best practice, the ICC has conducted a comprehensive consultation process for the practical review and fine-tuning of the code's provisions."

"We are grateful to our Members and other stakeholders for their input and we are encouraged by the full support the Members have shown in approving its implementation" said Mr Lorgat.

"We must never become complacent when it comes to protecting our sport against drug cheats. We have recognised the threat and we have done something about it. This is a big step forward for everyone who wants to maintain clean and fair competition in cricket."

The ICC became a signatory of WADA in July 2006 and has been testing at its events since 2002. In that time, there has not been a positive test at an ICC event.

In line with the provisions of the code, the ICC will establish a doping hearing panel from which three people will be selected to sit as an anti-doping tribunal from time to time in order to determine whether an anti-doping rule violation has been committed.

The chairperson of the tribunal is required to be legally qualified while the others on the tribunal will have legal, medical or technical expertise with specific experience in anti-doping matters. Each member of the doping hearing panel shall be independent of the ICC.

In a further move aimed at bolstering the anti-doping movement in the sport of cricket, the ICC has also recently circulated a template anti-doping code for all of its Members to adopt in order to help them to govern anti-doping matters at a domestic level in a consistent and WADA Code-compliant manner.

Test Championship

	Team	Matches	Points	Rating
1	India	38	4719	124
2	South Africa	38	4572	120
3	Australia	39	4586	118
4	Sri Lanka	31	3574	115
5	England	44	4712	107
6	New Zealand	29	2337	81
7	Pakistan	25	2008	80
8	West Indies	29	2224	77
9	Bangladesh	22	264	12
Developed by David Kendix			Last Updated: Thu, Mar 11, 2010

	Team	Matches	Points	Rating
1	Australia	53	7051	133
2	India	49	5982	122
3	South Africa	29	3401	117
4	New Zealand	33	3773	114
5	England	36	3965	110
6	Sri Lanka	40	4336	108
7	Pakistan	33	3420	104
8	West Indies	30	2158	72
9	Bangladesh	38	1987	52
10	Zimbabwe	37	1011	27
11	Ireland	6	152	25
12	Kenya	14	28	2
Developed by David Kendix			Last Updated: Mon, Mar 15, 2010

Former India captain Kapil Dev has been inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. The 51-year-old played 131 Tests and 225 ODIs across a 16-year career, and is best remembered for leading India to victory in the 1983 World Cup.

Kapil made his international debut in a one-dayer against Pakistan in Quetta in October 1978. His Test debut followed two weeks later in Faisalabad against the same opponents.

One of the greatest fast bowlers that India has produced and its finest bowling allrounder, he ended with a remarkable 434 Test wickets and 253 ODI wickets.

In 1994, he became the leading wicket-taker in Tests when he overtook Richard Hadlee, a record that was eventually broken by West Indies pacer Courtney Walsh. Also, in 1988 he leapfrogged another West Indies fast bowler, Joel Garner, to become the most successful bowler in ODIs, a record he held until 1994 when his tally of 253 wickets was passed by Wasim Akram.

Kapil's best bowling figures in a Test were 11 for 146 against Pakistan in Chennai in 1980, while in ODIs his best figures came in the group stages of the 1983 World Cup when he took 5 for 43 against Australia in Nottingham.

With the bat, he scored 5248 Test runs, including eight centuries and 27 fifties, at an average of 31.05. He also made 3783 ODI runs, including a highest of 175 not out against Zimbabwe at Tunbridge Wells during the 1983 World Cup.

At a ceremony at the ICC headquarters in Dubai on Monday, ICC president David Morgan, alongside former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd presented Kapil with a commemorative cap.

Speaking on the occassion, Kapil said, "I am proud and happy to have been inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame and it's amazing to think that I have been picked as one of the greats of Indian cricket.

"I am delighted to have been named alongside so many great players of the game but for me, when I was growing up, the man I always looked up to was Sunil Gavaskar from the moment I started playing cricket. Now to be named also alongside greats of the game such as Clive Lloyd, Richard Hadlee and Wasim Akram it truly fantastic," he said.

Morgan said Kapil was an all-time great player. "He did everything. He batted, bowled and he was a fine fielder. I remember the great catch he took to dismiss Viv Richards in the 1983 World Cup final - he was on the run and the ball came over his shoulder, possibly the most difficult of catches."

Lloyd, who was Kapil's opposing number in the 1983 World Cup final, said he was a thoroughly deserving 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," Lloyd said. "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."