World Cup-winning captain Belinda Clark has joined an elite group of Australian greats
Former Australia captain Belinda Clark, a World Cup-winning leader, prolific run scorer and key figure in the off-field development of Australian cricket, has been elevated to ‘Legend’ status in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
Clark is just the sixth cricketer to be awarded the most prestigious individual sporting honour that can be bestowed on an Australian, which recognises excellence, longevity, resilience and lifelong contribution to sports.
She joins Sir Donald Bradman, Keith Miller, Richie Benaud, Dennis Lillee and Shane Warne as cricketers whose achievements “are considered part of Australian folklore” and was handed the honour alongside champion basketballer Andrew Gaze.
Since 1993, just 53 sporting identities have been officially recognised as a Legend of Australian sport.
Clark was first inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2011, the same year she entered the ICC Hall of Fame.
“The Sport Australia Hall of Fame is proud to elevate Belinda Clark and Andrew Gaze to the prestigious status of Legends of their nation,” fellow Legend and Sport Australia Hall of Fame chair John Bertrand said.
“Both icons of their respective sports, Belinda and Andrew have long inspired through excellence, leadership, and grace.
“Joining the esteemed ranks of the 51 Legends before them, their elevation to Legend status is not merely an honour – it is a recognition of legacies that have shaped the soul of Australian sport and continue to ignite the dreams of generations to come.”
Few people have had as much of an impact on cricket, on and off the field, as Clark.
A right-handed opener born in Newcastle with the uncanny knack of accumulating runs, Clark was named captain of the Australian Women’s team at the age of 23 and led her country for 12 years through a golden period until her retirement in 2005, winning two World Cups in the process.
Clark holds the record for the most ODI runs scored by an Australian woman – 4,844 runs in 118 ODIs at an average of 47.49 – while she scored 919 runs in 15 Test matches at an average of 45.95, the second most of any Australian woman.
In 1997, she became the first person to score an ODI double century when she blasted 229 runs off 155 balls against Denmark and was subsequently named Wisden’s Cricketer of the Year.
As chief executive of Women’s Cricket Australia, Clark played a significant role in the merger with the Australian Cricket Board to combine the administration of the men’s and women’s games.
After her retirement from playing, Clark played a key role over the following 15 years as an administrator at Cricket Australia, with a particular focus on grassroots cricket and Australia’s national teams, before she left the organisation in late 2020.
She remains an influential figure in Australian cricket, however, mentoring up-and-coming leaders within the game.
“It’s an unbelievable honour to be elevated to Legend status in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame,” Clark said in a statement.
“I am experiencing a combination of surprise, gratitude and pride.
“I played a team sport, and the reality is none of us achieve anything without the support and commitment of the whole team.
“I hope my teammates along with the coaches, support staff and administration feel like they are a part of this recognition.
“Professionally, I am proud of where the sport is going.
“It is setting the pace in the ambition to be equitable and whilst there is still a way to go, I am bullish about the future.”
Clark and Gaze will be celebrated at the Sport Australia Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Gala Dinner at Crown Palladium in Melbourne on Monday, November 17, along with the investiture of seven new members of the Hall of Fame, plus the announcement of this year’s recipients of The Don and The Dawn Awards.
