Pictured: Michael Bevan of the Blues hits four runs during the Pura Milk Cup Cricket match between the NSW Blues v Tasmanian Tigers at the SCG December 20, 2003
Days after Cricket NSW lauded Michael Clarke AO and Christina Matthews AM on becoming the 64th and 65th members of the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame, another NSW legend has been afforded the same honour.
Michael Bevan has today been named the 66th member of the same exclusive club by the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame Committee, together with Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC), Cricket Australia (CA) and the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA).
Bevan played for the NSW Blues between 1990/91 and 2003/04, and during that time played 18 Tests and 232 One Day Internationals for Australia, where he was widely considered the best ODI player in the world. He was the world’s top-ranked ODI batter for 1259 consecutive days between 1999 and 2002.
Bevan, who was made a life member of Cricket NSW in 2003 and inducted into the Cricket NSW Hall of Fame in 2016, is the 30th former NSW player to become a member of the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame.
Lee Germon, Cricket NSW CEO said:
“Following the induction of Michael Clarke and Christina Matthews last week, I am absolutely thrilled to see Michael Bevan become the newest member of the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame.
“While Michael was an elite player in all forms of the game, his composure and skillset changed the way limited overs cricket was played around the world and he will forever be remembered for that.
“On behalf of everyone in the NSW cricket community, I would like to thank Michael for his magnificent contribution to cricket and congratulate him on this achievement.”
Updated Australian Cricket Hall of Fame criteria
Bevan becomes the first player inducted under an updated Australian Cricket Hall of Fame criteria.
A review of the criteria was undertaken by the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame Committee and the Melbourne Cricket Club, manager of the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), to ensure all formats of the game which were available in respective eras were equally recognised.
The updated criteria see the introduction of two categories in which candidates can be inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame as either a Player or in the General category.
The Player category will see the Committee assess candidates for induction who have significantly contributed to the game of cricket while playing at the national level across formats available in their respective era. The Committee will consider a candidate’s outstanding service, overall contribution, impact, playing statistics, integrity, sportsmanship and general standing in the Australian community. A candidate will only be eligible for induction in the Player category after a minimum period of five years has passed since they last participated at the national representative level.
The introduction of a General category opens the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame to those candidates who have significantly contributed to the game of cricket while working or volunteering at the national and/or international level in the roles of coach, umpire, media personnel, referee, administrator or in another position as determined by the Committee.
A candidate eligible in the General category will be considered for induction through their outstanding service, overall contribution and public standing. The number of years of service to Australian cricket and the game generally across available formats in the candidate’s era shall only be a consideration and shall not be a sole determination in assessing the full eligibility of a candidate.
The Committee determined that Australian Cricket Hall of Fame could elevate inductees to Legend status. The new classification for inductees will be applied to honour players who have made the most significant contribution to the game of cricket in Australia over a prolonged period. A candidate for Legend status will have their contribution assessed by their stature in the game of cricket and how they have personally transcended their sport to become key figures in the community.
HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
Inducted 1996 - Fred Spofforth, John Blackham, Victor Trumper, Clarrie Grimmett, Bill Ponsford, Sir Donald Bradman, Bill O’Reilly, Keith Miller, Ray Lindwall and Dennis Lillee
Inducted 2000 - Warwick Armstrong, Neil Harvey and Allan Border
Inducted 2001 - Bill Woodfull and Arthur Morris
Inducted 2002 - Stan McCabe and Greg Chappell
Inducted 2003 - Lindsay Hassett and Ian Chappell
Inducted 2004 - Hugh Trumble and Alan Davidson
Inducted 2005 - Clem Hill and Rod Marsh
Inducted 2006 - Monty Noble and Bob Simpson
Inducted 2007 - Charles Macartney and Richie Benaud
Inducted 2008 - George Giffen and Ian Healy
Inducted 2009 - Steve Waugh
Inducted 2010 - Bill Lawry and Graham McKenzie
Inducted 2011 - Mark Taylor and Doug Walters
Inducted 2012 - Shane Warne
Inducted 2013 - Charlie Turner and Glenn McGrath
Inducted 2014 - Mark Waugh and Belinda Clark
Inducted 2015 - Adam Gilchrist and Jack Ryder
Inducted 2016 - Jeff Thomson and Wally Grout
Inducted 2017 - David Boon, Matthew Hayden and Betty Wilson
Inducted 2018 - Norm O’Neill, Ricky Ponting and Karen Rolton
Inducted 2019 - Cathryn Fitzpatrick, Dean Jones and Billy Murdoch
Inducted 2020 - Sharon Tredrea and Craig McDermott
Inducted 2021 - Johnny Mullagh, Merv Hughes and Lisa Sthalekar
Inducted 2022 – Justin Langer and Raelee Thompson
Inducted 2023 – Marg Jennings and Ian Redpath
Inducted 2024 – Michael Clarke, Christina Matthews and Michael Bevan
*Players who have played for NSW in bold
SELECTION PANEL as at December 2024
Chair, former Victorian player and Melbourne Cricket Club representative Peter King
Australian Cricketers’ Association CEO Todd Greenberg
Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley
2002 ACHOF inductee Greg Chappell
2014 ACHOF inductee Belinda Clark
2021 ACHOF inductee Lisa Sthalekar
2011 ACHOF inductee Mark Taylor
Journalist Greg Baum
Journalist Ben Horne