Ex Australia fast bowler, Craig McDermott, and a modern-day great of women’s cricket, Sharon Tredrea, were drafted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame. The two will take their places in the coveted Hall of Fame at the Australian Cricket Awards in Melbourne on Monday (February 10).
ACHoF chairman Peter King said that the selection committee deemed many candidates to eventually pick two of the best performers Australia has provided for their enrichments to the club, state, and international cricket. Sharon and Craig are well-deserved inductees into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame to enter an elite club of characters who have given so much to cricket, the sport they love.
Tredrea, who starred in 10 Tests for 30 wickets, and 31 ODIs for 32 wickets between 1973 and 1988 during which she played in four World Cups, was considered as one of the fastest bowlers to represent the women’s competition. She headed Australia versus New Zealand in 1979 and also during Australia’s protection of the World Cup in India in 1978. Sharon was a trailblazer of the women’s competition throughout her profession at a time when chances for our women’s cricketers were rare and there was limited or no funding accessible to them.
McDermott, who debuted as a 20-year-old in 1984 moved on to serve Australia until 1996, where he began the bowling during a renewed period beneath Allan Border. He played 71 Tests and 138 ODIs between 1984 and 1996 and returned 291 wickets in 71 Tests at 28.63, and in 138 One-Day Internationals, he took a record 203 wickets. He was also selected as International Cricketer of the Year in 1992 and 1995.
Post his playing days, McDermott turned to coach at Australia’s Centre of Excellence and subsequently took up the position of Australia’s fast-bowling coach in 2011.
