The Australian Cricket Hall of Fame is a part of the Australian Gallery of Sport and Olympic Museum in the Australian Sports Museum at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. This hall of fame commemorates the greatest Australian cricketers of all time, as the "selection philosophy for the hall of fame focuses on the players' status as sporting legends in addition to their outstanding statistical records." Inductees must be retired from international cricket for at least five years. The Australian Cricket Hall of Fame was an idea conceived by the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) to honour Australia's legendary cricketers. It was opened on 6 December 1996 by the then Prime Minister, John Howard.