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Mint
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Mint
Tiger to Tendulkar? Sharmila Tagore, Sunil Gavaskar slam Pataudi Trophy renaming to honour Anderson, Tendulkar
Tiger Pataudi can arguably be the best thing that happened to Indian cricket. A name that became synonymous with the instilling of national pride and unity in the sport, which until the Tiger's entrance, was dominated by India's colonisers, England. But the very name that scripted history is now at the centre of controversy, with Sharmila Tagore, cricketing icons Sunil Gavaskar, and Harsha Bhogle weighing in. Earlier this month, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) jointly announced that the Pataudi Trophy would now be called the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy. The ECB and BCCI have cited the achievements of Tendulkar and Anderson as modern legends of the game, aiming to make the rivalry more relatable to younger fans and to reflect the trend of naming series after contemporary icons. The names — 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 Pataudi Trophy was established in 2007 to mark the 75th anniversary of India's maiden Test series in England. It honoured the remarkable legacy of the Pataudi family—particularly Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, the only cricketer to represent both England and India in Test matches, and his son, Mansoor Ali Khan "Tiger" Pataudi. The 'Pataudi Trophy' was never just about silverware—it was a tribute to cricket's complex colonial inheritance. Named after Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, the only man to play Tests for both England and India, it honoured a legacy of defiance and dignity. Seasoned cricket broadcaster Harsha Bhogle took to X to reflect that although Tendulkar and Anderson are legends, the Pataudi name 'misses the deep connect that Pataudi had with our countries'. He added: "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.' The same trophy, which now has a new name, was traditionally awarded to the winner of India's Test tours of England, while in India, the corresponding series has long been played for the Anthony de Mello Trophy, named after one of the BCCI's founding architects. More than mere tokenism, the nomenclature honoured a man whose legacy ran deeper than the scoreboard. During the notorious Bodyline series of 1932-33, he defied his captain, Douglas Jardine, by refusing to field on the leg-side—a stance of integrity that cost him his place in the team. In him, the complex, post-colonial cricketing bond between the two nations found a fitting emblem. The renaming drew sharp backlash, from the late Tiger Pataudi's wife Sharmila Tagore to his daughter Soha Ali Khan and cricket veteran Sunil Gavaskar. Sharmila Tagore called it insensitive and said the family wasn't consulted. 'Whether the BCCI wants to preserve Tiger's legacy is for them to decide," she said in an interview with Hindustan Times. In his column in Sportstar, Sunil Gavaskar said the move was '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.' The newly named trophy is set to be unveiled at Lord's during the World Test Championship final, which begins on June 11.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
No disrespect to Anderson-Tendulkar, but renaming the Pataudi Trophy isn't quite cricket
In 2007, ahead of the 75th anniversary of India's entry into Test cricket (their first game was against England at Lord's in June 1932), the Pataudi Trophy was instituted as the coveted prize for the winner of the series between the two teams on English soil. The Anthony S De Mello Trophy, named after one of the two founding fathers of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, was the corresponding silverware for victors of Indo-England showdowns in India. The naming of the trophy after the Pataudi father-son duo – Iftikhar Ali Khan played for both England and India, while 'Tiger' Mansur remains India's youngest Test captain – was welcomed as thoughtful, sensitive, laudatory. There was more than mere tokenism to the nomenclature. The senior Pataudi symbolised the shared cricketing legacy between India and the country that ruled them for long. He stood up for what he believed in, and was therefore dropped after the second Test of the infamous Bodyline series of 1932-33 in Australia when he refused to field on the leg-side, in defiance of captain Douglas Jardine. Iftikhar Ali Khan, who made a century on debut in Sydney in December 1932, played three Tests for England and three for India (all as captain) against England in a Test career that spanned nearly 14 years. His son, educated in England, was one of India's finest batters and one of the greatest fielders of his – old-times insist 'any' – era. But his legacy extended far beyond that. Taking over the reins in the Caribbean in 1962 when only 21 after designated skipper Nari Contractor received a sickening blow to his head from Charlie Griffith in a tour match, Tiger instilled a sense of 'Indianness' within the side, exploding regional barriers and divides on the basis of geography and language to forge a fighting fit unit that was proud of its collective roots. Fusing the charisma of royalty with an innate sense of oneness and empathy, Tiger is hailed as the prince with the heart of a commoner. Between them, father and son had done yeomen service to the cricket world at large, not just Indian cricket, and it was befitting therefore that the Pataudi Trophy, a small way of recognising their contribution to the sport, came into being. Now, the Pataudi Trophy is being consigned to history. Starting in two weeks' time, England and India will do battle in the former's backyard for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, named after inarguably the greatest batter (Sachin Tendulkar) of his generation and unquestionably the most prolific fast bowler (James Anderson) in the five-day game. Both are icons, trend-setters, trail-blazers, relentless in their pursuit of excellence and shining examples of how to play the game in the spirit in which it is intended to be. There is no questioning whether they are worthy of this honour. Both are living legends and deserve to be celebrated. But at the expense of the Pataudis? Why? One of the reasons proffered for the change is that naming the series after contemporary greats will make the rivalry more relatable to the younger generation. Should we presume that two decades hence, we will move on from Anderson-Tendulkar to players of a more recent vintage? Is this how we honour legends who have carved a path where none existed, so that newer fans with recency bias are allowed to forget history, forget the giants who have made the sport what it is? That such a move has emanated from England, with its avowed respect for and faith in history and tradition, is particularly disturbing though it is perhaps in keeping with the recent trend – after all, it is England that has given us T20 cricket, it is also in England where The Hundred, a 100-ball-a-side concept, has taken deep root. It is incumbent upon the custodians of the game, the administrators, even modern players, to ensure that new, young fans are educated about the history of the sport, any sport. To assume that today's followers have no interest in knowing about the past is dangerous and short-sighted, with the potential to eventually relegate the glorious past to deep recesses and invest only in the present. The name change has understandably attracted censure from several quarters. The graceful Sharmila Tagore, the late Tiger's wife, called it 'insensitive' while Sunil Gavaskar was less guarded in his criticism. 'It shows a total lack of sensitivity to the contribution made by the Pataudis to cricket in both England and India,' the batting legend wrote in his column in Sportstar. 'Here's hoping that if an Indian player has been approached, he'll have the good sense to decline politely.' One's not sure what Tendulkar has made of this.
Daily Telegraph
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Telegraph
Killara home of sporting legends up for sale
Killara's legendary property Poitiers owned by two sporting greats is back on the market for the fifth time in eight years. The historic c1904 home on 1906sqm of land was home to Bodyline cricketer the late Bert Oldfield and more recently former Wallabies captain Stirling Mortlock whose parents held the blue-ribbon home for decades before selling in March 2017 for $5.45m. But there then followed a spate of owners. Later in 2017 Poitiers sold for $6.3m, then again in 2020 also for $6.3m to Anthony and Alison Kingsley who undertook a painstaking 18-month renovation. MORE: Former MasterChef warehouse up for lease They sold three years ago for $9.23m and now the single-level home with north-to-rear aspect has a date with the auctioneer's gavel in June with a $10.5m guide. Nicole Zeng, of Ray White Upper North Shore, said the home radiates period allure while showcasing luxury renovations. There are elegant formal rooms, casual living and dining rooms, a French provincial stone kitchen with scullery, six bedrooms, four bathrooms, two home offices and a 14m swimming pool. With such a large level block playing backyard cricket is easy. Bert Oldfield almost certainly played on the lawn. He remains one of the nation's most talked about cricketers and not just because he played with Sir Donald Bradman. During the now infamous Bodyline test series against England in 1932-3 Oldfield was hit in the head by a ball, fractured his skull and was carried unconscious from the pitch. An oval just 200m from the house is named in his honour. The house is also close to Killara Park tennis courts, 950m from Killara High School and 1.1km to Killara Station. It goes to auction on Saturday June 7.
News.com.au
01-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Killara home of sporting legends up for sale
Killara's legendary property Poitiers owned by two sporting greats is back on the market for the fifth time in eight years. The historic c1904 home on 1906sqm of land was home to Bodyline cricketer the late Bert Oldfield and more recently former Wallabies captain Stirling Mortlock whose parents held the blue-ribbon home for decades before selling in March 2017 for $5.45m. But there then followed a spate of owners. Later in 2017 Poitiers sold for $6.3m, then again in 2020 also for $6.3m to Anthony and Alison Kingsley who undertook a painstaking 18-month renovation. They sold three years ago for $9.23m and now the single-level home with north-to-rear aspect has a date with the auctioneer's gavel in June with a $10.5m guide. Nicole Zeng, of Ray White Upper North Shore, said the home radiates period allure while showcasing luxury renovations. There are elegant formal rooms, casual living and dining rooms, a French provincial stone kitchen with scullery, six bedrooms, four bathrooms, two home offices and a 14m swimming pool. With such a large level block playing backyard cricket is easy. Bert Oldfield almost certainly played on the lawn. He remains one of the nation's most talked about cricketers and not just because he played with Sir Donald Bradman. During the now infamous Bodyline test series against England in 1932-3 Oldfield was hit in the head by a ball, fractured his skull and was carried unconscious from the pitch. An oval just 200m from the house is named in his honour. The house is also close to Killara Park tennis courts, 950m from Killara High School and 1.1km to Killara Station. It goes to auction on Saturday June 7.
