Brian Lara, Kevin Pietersen pay glowing tributes to new ICC Hall of Famer Kumar Sangakkara

Former Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara is regarded as one of the best wicketkeeper-batsmen to ever play the game. The southpaw was renowned for his temperament and impeccable batting technique. After hanging up his boots, Kumar Sangakkara has stayed connected to the sport by working as an administrator and a cricket analyst. On Sunday, the Sri Lankan veteran was officially inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame.

Brian Lara heaps praise on Kumar Sangakkara

Legendary batsman Sunil Gavaskar honoured Sangakkara the special cap and welcomed him into the ICC Hall of Fame. The two are currently in Southampton where they are commentating in the WTC Final 2021. After Sangakkara was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame, former West Indies skipper Brian Lara heaped praise on the Sri Lankan.

While speaking on Star Sports, Lara said that, unlike many batsmen, Sangakkara prevailed in all conditions, against all bowling attacks around the world. Moreover, he added that the Sri Lanka veteran did it in the opposition's backyard and not just at home. Lara further said that Kumar Sangakkara on many occasions has amazed him.

However, Lara reckoned that if he had to point out Sanga's best performance, it was his four consecutive centuries in the 2015 ICC World Cup in Australia. He stated that the four centuries were something to behold and out of the world. The Caribbean star then went on to congratulate Sangakkara on being inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame.

Former England captain Kevin Pietersen also congratulated the dynamic batsman on receiving the honour. He said Sangakkara being inducted into the Hall of Fame just makes me smile. The Englishman added that Sangakkara is a great person, a great player and a wonderful ambassador for the game. Lauding Sangakkara's outstanding achievement, Kevin Pietersen opined that the Sri Lankan legend is a hero in Sri Lanka and all around the world.

Kumar Sangakkara stats

Kumar Sangakkara featured in a total of 134 Tests for Sri Lanka where he scored 12,400 runs at an astounding average of 57.40. The wicketkeeper-batsman ended his career with 38 Test hundreds and 52 half-centuries, retiring as the country’s most prolific batsman in the longer format of the game. He also played 404 ODIs for Sri Lanka, scoring 14,234 runs at an average of 41.98. The Sri Lankan legend notched up 25 hundreds and 93 fifties in the format.

Sunil Gavaskar names Sachin Tendulkar as 'Greatest Test Batsman of 21st century' over Kumar Sangakkara

Tendulkar was named the 'Greatest Test Batsman of 21st century', as per a poll conducted by Star Sports. He was favoured by cricketer-turned-commentator Sunil Gavaskar over Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara. The Star Sports Network conducted a poll during the ongoing WTC Final 2021 for the greatest Test batsman of the century. India's Sachin Tendulkar emerged to be the clear winner after beating the likes of former Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara. India's batting legend Sunil Gavaskar also cast his vote in the favour of Tendulkar.

In a video uploaded by the channel, the 71-year-old opined that while both Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara are icons of the game, the winner of the Greatest Test Batsman of the 21st century is his fellow Mumbaikar Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. The other members of the cricket fraternity who voted in the poll included former players of team India such as Irfan Pathan and VVS Laxman.

IMAGE SOURCE: ICC TWITTER, PTI