Sir Richard Hadlee, Martin Crowe, Debbie Hockley listed as Australians in ICC Hall of Fame gaffe

Martin Crowe

The ICC’s (International Cricket Council) Hall of Fame listings have sparked controversy after it erroneously categorised three of New Zealand’s cricket icons as Australians.

Among them is the late Martin Crowe, celebrated for holding New Zealand’s highest score of 299 in Tests for over two decades, inducted in 2015. Sir Richard Hadlee (inducted in 2009) and Debbie Hockley (inducted in 2014), were the others who were wrongly listed as Australians. Notably, there were no players listed in the New Zealand section in the dropdown menu. Upon scrolling down, Crowe’s and two other names appear alongside an Australian flag.

“Arguably New Zealand’s greatest batsman, Martin Crowe led the line for the Black Caps for 13 years. His 299 was the highest Test score by a Kiwi for over a decade, and he led the side to a semifinal appearance at the 1992 ICC Cricket World Cup,” Crowe’s player bio read.

The bio in Crowe’s profile has raised questions about how such a blatant error could occur in the list updated by the global cricket governing body. Notably, it is perplexing that New Zealand, with three representatives in the Hall of Fame, does not have its own section on the list.

Meanwhile, Hadlee’s profile fails to mention his knighthood and incorrectly labels him as Australian in the heading, despite acknowledging his New Zealand status below it. Hockley, on the other hand, was mentioned as former New Zealand cricketer in her bio.

Hadlee’s profile reads, “One of the greatest fast bowlers of all time, Richard Hadlee spearheaded New Zealand’s attack for 17 years. He was the first bowler to reach 400 Test wickets, and finished with 431 Test wickets at an outstanding average of 22.29, with 36 5-wicket hauls.”

For Hockey, it mentions: “A giant in New Zealand women’s cricket, Debbie Hockley had a prolific international career. In Tests, she scored 1,301 runs at an average of 52.04, while in ODIs, she scored 4,064 runs at an average of 41.89.”