Michael Bevan to be inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame

He spent nearly four years ranked as the world’s No.1 ODI batter during his glittering career, and now this matchwinner has been recognised with the ultimate honour.

His last ball four to take down the West Indies in an ODI at the SCG is one of Australian cricket’s most memorable moments, and now Michael Bevan has been rewarded for the entirety of his illustrious cricket career with inclusion in the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame.

Bevan is widely regarded as one of the greatest white-ball players of all time, having racked up a mammoth 6912 runs at 53.58 in his 232 One Day Internationals.

He was ranked the No.1 ODI batter in the world for 1259 consecutive days between 1999 and 2002.

He was also a member of Australia’s 1999 and 2003 World Cup-winning teams and when he retired, Bevan had the third-highest batting average of any cricketer in ODI matches.

Michael Bevan, who turns 51 today, was 𝘵𝘩𝘦 original finisher in ODI cricket ✨

Taking you back to his nerveless 78* in Sydney, where he saved Australia from 38 for six to win in the final ball pic.twitter.com/jUCuj42qUy

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) May 8, 2021

He wasn’t just a white-ball dynamo. Bevan also played 18 Test matches, scoring 785 runs at 29.0 and took 29 wickets and 24.24, including a 10-wicket match haul against West Indies in 1996/97 at the Adelaide Oval.

But his unbeaten 78, including the last ball boundary off Roger Harper to win the game on New Year’s Day in 1996, when he rescued Australia from a near impossible position, cemented his reputation as a player who thrived under pressure.

In Sheffield Shield, Bevan was also a prolific run-scorer throughout his career, scoring 42 centuries, the second most of any player. In 2005, he signed with Tasmania and scored an incredible 1464 runs in the season, which included a Sheffield Shield record eight centuries.

“Michael without a doubt revolutionised white-ball cricket and became a household name for his masterful batting, amazing athleticism and ability to chase down runs,” Australian Cricket Hall of Fame chairman Peter King said.

“It was Michael’s exceptional playing record and public standing that pushed the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame committee to review its selection criteria to ensure players who excelled in one-day or Twenty20 internationals were equally recognised as those who shone in the Test format.

“In the late ’90s and early 2000s, the name Bevan and One-Day Internationals were synonymous with one another. Michael’s stunning performances forced fans to either flock to a stadium or turn on their televisions, which was the impact he had on the game of cricket in Australia and globally.

“Beloved by fans for his thrilling innings with the bat, Michael is known as one of the greatest players to ever play white-ball cricket and his induction into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame is truly fitting.”

Originally published as Michael Bevan to be inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame