Former England and Lancashire bowling great Brian Statham was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame* at Old Trafford.

Statham’s widow, Audrey, accepted her late husband’s commemorative cap as part of the joint venture between the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA).

ECB chief executive David Collier alongside Lancashire Cricket Club chairman Michael Cairns and ICC Cricket Committee Chairman and former West Indies and Lancashire Cricket Club captain Clive Lloyd presented Mrs. Statham with her husband’s cap.

Brian Statham represented England in 70 Test matches taking a total of 252 wickets and was regarded as one of England’s greatest bowlers. He appeared in 559 first-class matches for Lancashire taking 2,260 wickets in a career that lasted 18 years.

Statham captained Lancashire from 1965 to 1967 and took 761 of his 2,260 first-class wickets at Old Trafford, and Lancashire has since named one end of the ground after the former fast bowler.

Statham featured in an England side that included two other Hall of Fames, Fred Trueman and Sir Colin Cowdrey. His best Test match haul was against South Africa in June 1960 when he took 11-97 at Lord’s.

He played seven Tests at Old Trafford taking 16 wickets in front of his home crowd.

Statham died in 2000.

Audrey, upon receiving her late husband’s cap, said: “This award would have meant a great deal to Brian.  He would have been extremely pleased that his achievements are still being recognised today.

“He is amongst many friends in the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame who had great respect for each other.  He enjoyed the company of cricketers and was rightly referred to as the gentlemen of the game.  Brian was a great acceptor of people and was always talking with Lancashire members and fans.  He thought it was a privilege to play cricket as it was his passion.”

Lancashire County Cricket chairman Michael Cairns said: “It’s a real privilege for me to be part of a presentation party honouring a true Lancashire and England legend.

“Brian Statham will be remembered by Lancashire members and spectators not only for his contributions to cricket but as a real gentleman of the game. This quietly spoken, unassuming man let his talent do the talking and it’s only fitting that the sports governing body induct him into their Hall of Fame.”

The cap presentation ceremony is a key part of the celebrations to mark the ICC’s centenary year as it acknowledges the greats of the game and the contributions they have made to ensure cricket is a great sport with a great spirit.

Other ICC Cricket Hall of Famers to have received their caps so far in 2009 are legendary New Zealand all-rounder Richard Hadlee, former Australian greats Rod Marsh, Ian Chappell, Allan Border, Neil Harvey and Richie Benaud, 12 former West Indies players or their family members or representatives – batting greats Clive Lloyd, Vivian Richards and Rohan Kanhai, champion all-rounder Garfield Sobers, the three Ws Everton Weekes, Clyde Walcott and Frank Worrell, opener Gordon Greenidge, fast bowlers Michael Holding, Malcolm Marshall and Andy Roberts, and star off-spinner Lance Gibbs – also ex-South Africa batsmen Barry Richards and Graeme Pollock, former Pakistan stalwarts Javed Miandad and Hanif Mohammad and England’s Alec Bedser, Colin Cowdrey, Tom Graveney, Peter May, David Gower, Derek Underwood, Graham Gooch, Harold Larwood, Denis Compton, Frank Woolley, Sydney Barnes, Sir Ian Botham, Geoffrey Boycott, Wilfred Rhodes, Fred Trueman Sir Leonard Hutton, Sir Jack Hobbs and Jim Laker .

Further cap presentations will be made during the course of the year and a limited number of new inductees, in addition to the 55 already chosen, will be named at this year’s LG ICC Awards.

ICC Cricket Hall of Fame – initial inductees (55)

Sydney Barnes, Bishan Bedi, Alec Bedser, Richie Benaud, Allan Border, Ian Botham, Geoffrey Boycott, Donald Bradman, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Denis Compton, Colin Cowdrey, Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Lance Gibbs, Graham Gooch, David Gower, WG Grace, Tom Graveney, Gordon Greenidge, Richard Hadlee, Walter Hammond, Neil Harvey, George Headley, Jack Hobbs, Michael Holding, Leonard Hutton, Rohan Kanhai, Imran Khan, Alan Knott, Jim Laker, Harold Larwood, Dennis Lillee, Ray Lindwall, Clive Lloyd, Hanif Mohammad, Rodney Marsh, Malcolm Marshall, Peter May, Javed Miandad, Keith Miller, Bill O’Reilly, Graeme Pollock, Wilfred Rhodes, Barry Richards, Vivian Richards, Andy Roberts, Garfield Sobers, Brian Statham, Fred Trueman, Derek Underwood, Clyde Walcott, Everton Weekes, Frank Woolley, Frank Worrell.