Why renaming of Pataudi Trophy to honour Anderson-Tendulkar has sparked a row
Anderson, who retired in July 2024 after a record 188 Tests and 704 wickets, and Tendulkar, who bowed out in 2013 after 200 Tests and 15,921 runs, are both widely regarded as legends of the modern game.
The newly named trophy will make its debut when England and India kick off the new WTC cycle with a five-Test series starting at Headingley, Leeds, from 20 June.
New Delhi: Sachin Tendulkar and James Anderson will soon be immortalised as the England-India Test series is renamed the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, according to a BBC report. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have jointly taken this decision, with the new trophy set to be unveiled at Lord's during the World Test Championship final which begins on 11 June. The move has sparked debate, as many question retiring the Pataudi Trophy and what it means for cricket's historic legacy.
Until now, the Test series played in England was contested for the Pataudi Trophy, named in 2007 to mark 75 years since the first Test between the two nations.
The trophy was titled in recognition of the Pataudi family, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi—the only player to represent both England and India in Tests—and his son, Mansoor Ali Khan 'Tiger' Pataudi, a legendary Indian captain.
When the series was played in India, it was known as the Anthony de Mello Trophy, after the BCCI's inaugural secretary and president, Anthony de Mello.
Heated debate
The change in name has sparked a debate and signifies a more profound transformation in the way Indian cricket perceives its own past.
Former Indian captain Bishan Singh Bedi had described Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi as 'the best thing to have happened to Indian cricket,' praising his role in overcoming regional divides and fostering a feeling of 'Indian-ness' within the team. Sunil Gavaskar and Erapalli Prasanna shared similar sentiments, with Gavaskar referring to him as 'the most charismatic cricketer of his generation,' and Prasanna remembering how Pataudi encouraged players to prioritise the nation over individual interests, bringing them together as Indians above all else.
Writing a column in Sportstar, Gavaskar said, the decision to retire the Pataudi Trophy 'disturbing indeed,' and argued that 'this is the first time one has heard of a trophy named after individual players being retired, though the decision is entirely the ECB's, and the BCCI may well have been informed.'
Gavaskar went on to say that the move 'shows a total lack of sensitivity to the contribution made by the Pataudis to cricket in both England and India'. He also expressed hope that 'if an Indian player has been approached, he will have the good sense to politely decline—not only out of respect for two former India captains but also to avoid the same fate of having a trophy named after him retired after he is gone.'
The legendary cricketer passed away at the age of 70 in 2011.
Gavaskar added that while the ECB is 'fully entitled to name the trophy after one of their own players,' he and 'loads of Indian cricket supporters' hope that 'any other Indian cricketer will have the smarts to decline, lest history repeats itself as it has with the Pataudi Trophy.'
Seasoned cricket broadcaster Harsha Bhogle took the discussion to 'X', where he reflected on the renaming of the series. He wrote, 'Having been an admirer of Anderson the player and, as is well known, of Tendulkar, both as a player and a person, I should have been happy with the series being played for a Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy. But it misses the deep connect that Pataudi had with our countries. Both father and son played for Sussex, Sr played for both England and India, Jr set schoolboy batting records in England. There was a very nice ring to the Pataudi Trophy.'
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor also expressed his disapproval, describing it as a 'disrespect' to the Pataudi family. Writing on 'X', he stated, 'The problem is how little respect the guardians of today's cricket have for the game's hallowed history. I have had the honour of watching a #PataudiTrophy Test with Sharmila Tagore — what disrespect this shows to her and her illustrious family!'
Sharmila Tagore, Tiger Pataudi's wife, shared her feelings about the decision speaking to The Hindustan Times, she said, 'We haven't heard directly from the ECB, but they sent a letter to Saif (Ali Khan) regarding the retirement of the trophy.'
She also reflected on the legacy aspect, stating, 'Whether the BCCI wants to preserve Tiger's legacy is for them to decide.'
With the news confirmed, it appears Tendulkar had no issue accepting the honour of having a trophy named after him.
The cricket boards have looked at recent examples for inspiration. The introduction of the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy for the England-New Zealand Test series in November 2024, as well as the long-established Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia, highlights this shift.
The upcoming England series will be a stern test for India, which will be without the services of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, after both announced their retirements from Test cricket earlier in May. The tour is set to provide a major opportunity for a new generation of Indian players to impress selectors and cement their place in the team.
The India squad for the England series, as announced in June 2025, features Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (vice-captain and wicketkeeper), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
Also Read: Where Sachin was once ball boy, Pataudi last took guard—Mumbai's Wankhede stadium hits 50
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