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NDTV
2 days ago
- Sport
- NDTV
Sunil Gavaskar Reignites Pataudi Trophy Row, Asks Big Question: "How Silly..."
Legendary India batter Sunil Gavaskar reignited the row over retiring the Pataudi Trophy and renaming the India-England Test series to 'Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy'. The England Cricket Board (ECB) decided to present the Pataudi medal to the winning captain instead after major criticism from both fans as well as experts. Gavaskar pointed out that no one from the Pataudi family was present for the presentation ceremony and even went on to say that considering the fact that the five-match Test series ended 2-2, the decision to present the medal to the winning captain seemed a bit 'silly'. "Nobody from the Pataudi family was there either, for the Pataudi medal, which was to be presented to the winning team's captain. The drawn series showed how silly this idea was of trying to make up to the Pataudis by retiring the trophy named after them," Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar. "Every time the series is drawn, the medal can't be presented, can it? Wouldn't it be better, therefore, to have the medal for the Man of the Series than give it to the winning team's captain? And what if the captain himself has had an ordinary series and had little impact on the result?" he added. Gavaskar even questioned why both Sachin Tendulkar and James Anderson were not invited for the presentation ceremony despite the fact that both of them were present in England at the moment. "This was the first-ever series named after Sachin Tendulkar and Jimmy Anderson, two of cricket's greatest legends. One would have expected both to be present to give the trophy to the two captains, especially since the series ended in a draw." "To the best of one's knowledge, both were in England at the time. So, were they simply not invited? Or was this similar to what happened in Australia earlier this year, when only Allan Border was asked to present the Border-Gavaskar Trophy because Australia had won the series? Since this England series was drawn, perhaps neither was asked to attend the presentation," he concluded.
Daily Maverick
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
England, India series showed the magic of five-match Test series
The recently concluded five-match Test series between India and England dished up some of the most riveting Test cricket to be played. Test cricket is like a good stew, the longer it cooks the better it gets. But it also needs quality ingredients and with India and England, it added some of its finest. It was also garnished with just the right amount of aggression, silliness and drama to make the viewing even more compelling. There were ignored handshakes, ridiculous statements to the media, reckless run-outs, fractured feet and shoulders, several remarks about various balls and their sizes and so much in between. By the time it was all done and dusted on Monday morning in an utterly absurd 56 minutes of cricket at The Oval, in Kennington, South London, hands were finally shaken and both sides acknowledged the other's contribution to a series that will live long in the memories of those that watched the match. This despite the series ending in a stalemate at 2-2. The excitement developed into suspense and thrill that can only be created by a Test series of this length. Statistically, the series was compelling as well. In total, 7,187 runs were scored by both sides, that's the second most in a series ever and the most in a five-match Test series. Across the series there were a staggering 21 centuries, which ties the most ever in the history of the game. And despite the high scores, it was nearly equally high from both sides with the first innings gap being under 30 runs in three of the five Test matches. In this context, the bowlers suffered somewhat but when they did strike, it was mostly by rattling the stumps. In total, 45 wickets fell by bowled dismissal, the most in a Test series since 1984. And this was all only possible because of the length of the tour. Proteas miss out Test cricket is great. The longer the length of a series the better. Narratives are allowed to develop, and teams find out things about themselves and their opposition that they wouldn't in any other cricket situation. But the format, and particularly the lengthy series, is dying a slow death outside of the Big Three, which consists of India, Australia and England – who regularly play each other in five-match series. India have toured both. South Africa are champions of the format. They won the World Test Championship (WTC) final in England against Australia in June. The only way that victory could have been a bigger middle finger to cricket's current status quo would have been if India were somehow involved as well. Yet, the likelihood of South Africa hosting a five-match Test series in the next decade is extremely low. It's not that the champions of the format aren't good enough to play in a series as gripping as the one India and England participated in; it's that South Africa can't afford it financially. Although the England Cricket Board is considering hosting South Africa in a five-match series in 2028, as it would fall in a year between their hosting India and Australia. South Africa's next home Test will only be in October 2026, when they host Australia, the match will be their first on home soil since the WTC final. That's 16 months on. Financial matters The reason for South Africa's lack of Test cricket is that it costs more than R2-million to host a match. That's R10-million across five matches. And unless those matches are against either India, England or Australia, there is no chance of breaking even, never mind making a profit. When South Africa do host one of the Big Three, Cricket South Africa (CSA) would prefer a smattering of white ball matches thrown in, instead of the extra few Test matches. This is because one white-ball match's broadcast revenue is equal to the amount made across one Test match. Put more simply, three hours of cricket makes CSA the same amount of money as five days of cricket. And when money is tight, those extra matches matter. South Africa makes about R140-million, through broadcast revenue for each match it hosts against India. Test nations outside the Big Three have not been involved in a Test series of more than three matches since England toured South Africa for a four-match series in 2019/20. The Proteas' last five-match Test series was 20 years ago, when they hosted England in 2004/05. In fact, South Africa's last eight Test series have only consisted of two-match series, dating back to 2022. Unless the International Cricket Council's financial model changes soon, where teams outside of the Big Three receive a bigger piece of the pie or Test cricket by some miracle becomes more valuable to host, it might be another 20 years before South Africa sees another five-match Test series on its shores. DM
Time of India
5 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
'Akash Deep's send-off to Ben Duckett certainly needs sanction': Duckett's coach
Akash Deep of India puts his arm around Ben Duckett of England after dismissing him (Photo by) While the fifth Test between India and England will be remembered for the visitors' glorious comeback in a must-win match, it also witnessed a controversial moment. Fast-bowler Akash Deep celebrated in Ben Duckett 's face after dismissing him in England's first innings, placed a hand around his shoulder and exchanged a few words with a smile. Duckett had earlier attempted to unnerve the Indian cricketer by reportedly saying, "You cannot get me out in here". Akash Deep's send-off drew criticism from members of the cricket fraternity, including former Australia captain Ricky Ponting , who claimed that he would have probably punched the pacer had it come during his time. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! "It was part of a competitive series but certainly needs a sanction to discourage youngsters. At the same time, it doesn't bother me personally," said Duckett's childhood coach James Knott in an exclusive interaction with Inside The Oval: An Exclusive Tour of the Stadium Where India Played the Final Test The English batter was among the hosts' top run-getters in the five-match Test series, accumulating 462 runs at an average of 51.33. Knott highlighted Duckett's intent and desire to excel in the toughest of circumstances. "Often people say that he is maybe too laid back, but Duckett is very competitive when he is out in the middle, as you saw during the recent Test series. Shubman Gill told me he enjoyed the challenge when Duckett was at the crease. He is short, left-handed, scores square of the wicket, sweeps both sides in multiple areas. In that sense, Duckett is not only a hard man to bowl at but very different to a lot of other players out there. Think of Gill, for example, who is a much more orthodox player," stated Knott. "When I first saw Duckett, he already had the reverse sweep and the switch hit but we added the orthodox sweep. He was always one of the smallest for his age but just hit the ball harder than most of them. The biggest thing he learnt during under-14 or under-15 level cricket was that he doesn't necessarily have the power to clear the boundary. So he had to learn to keep the ball down, which he still does," added the English cricketer's coach. Poll Do you think Akash Deep's celebration after dismissing Ben Duckett was appropriate? Yes, it's part of the game No, it was disrespectful Duckett has witnessed his fair share of controversy over the years, with the England Cricket Board (ECB) opting to suspend the batter on disciplinary grounds back in 2017. The 30-year-old cricketer was accused of pouring a drink over former English pacer James Anderson's head, which was later clarified. "There were instances where we had to discipline him at school level although there weren't too many of them to be honest. Duckett was benched for a few matches as per our code of conduct. He took that well and came back more mature which helped shape his character. There were times where an arm around the shoulder was needed and others where a kick up the backside was necessary. Duckett was a single young man when he was battling low points in his life. Now he's got a young child and is getting married. Those sort of things give you a bit more perspective in life," stated Knott. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Hindustan Times
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
ECB blasted, told 'Pataudi medal an afterthought' to reduce 'Anderson-Tendulkar' damage: 'Invite Sharmila Tagore, Saif'
The rechristening of the Pataudi Trophy to the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy was met with widespread criticism. The England Cricket Board's decision to replace the legendary Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi's name from the trophy with the names of two greats – Sachin Tendulkar and James Anderson – as debatable as it was – went ahead as planned. The decision did not please Sunil Gavaskar, who felt the rebranding was unnecessary. Now, weighing in on the topic, former India cricketer Farokh Engineer had shared his two cents, echoing Gavaskar's thoughts to a certain extent. Saif Ali Khan, left, and Sharmila Tagore(AFP) To reduce the extent of the damage, the ECB introduced the Pataudi medal, but not before Tendulkar himself and the BCCI stepped in to ensure that the Pataudi legacy remained intact. Engineer believes that the newly introduced medal – which will be given to the winning captain – is nothing more than a compensation made to please Pataudi supporters. Also Read: No disrespect to Anderson-Tendulkar, but renaming the Pataudi Trophy isn't quite cricket "Well Tiger Pataudi was a great friend of mine. Great colleague of mine. We played a lot of Test cricket. Great heritage, great family. I was most happy when the trophy was named after him back in 2007. On one hand I was very disappointed that the Pataudi name was removed, I would love Tiger's name to go on but instead powers that be decided with Anderson and Sachin who are legends of the game," Engineer told PTI. "It (introducing Pataudi medal) was obviously an afterthought, they should have announced it in the beginning that would have more credibility but at least they have done something. Common sense has prevailed and hope the Pataudi name always remains." The series between India and England, played in the UK, was named the Pataudi Trophy in 2007 to mark 75 years of strong cricketing relations between the two nations. The Pataudi name has plenty of significance in India-England cricketing ties: Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi and his son Mansur both captained India, and both played county cricket in England. Engineer himself moved to England in the 1960s and became a beloved figure there, playing for Lancashire at Old Trafford. As for the two names after whom the trophy has been named, Engineer has nothing against either Tendulkar or Anderson and hopes that the least the ECB can do is invite Sharmila Tagore and Saif Ali Khan to present the award. 'Invite Sharmila Tagore and Saif Ali Khan': Engineer to ECB "The achievements of Tendulkar and Anderson can't be argued against. There are two sides to the story. They have named the medal after Pataudis which is a very thoughtful thing. That must be a second choice to appease a lot of Pataudi supporters of which I am one, but you can't blame them for naming the trophy after Sachin and Anderson," Engineer said. "The whole issue is debatable but they have kept the name. I hope they invite Sharmila Tagore (Mansur's wife) and his son Saif Ali Khan to present the medal. Last series they didn't do that. Fingers were pointed at ECB for that. Hopefully they give them due credit." Engineer played 46 Tests and five ODIs for India between 1961 and 1975.
Time of India
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
IND vs ENG: 'Disappointed' - Ex-India cricketer questions ECB's move to drop Pataudi name
Sachin Tendulkar (left) with James Anderson (Image credit: England Cricket) Former India cricketer Farokh Engineer has slammed the England Cricket Board (ECB) for renaming the India-England Test series trophy. The trophy, which was previously named the Pataudi Trophy, was renamed the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at the start of the ongoing five-match Test series. "Well, Tiger Pataudi was a great friend of mine. A great colleague of mine. We played a lot of Test cricket together. Great heritage, great family. I was most happy when the trophy was named after him back in 2007," Engineer told PTI. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! "On one hand, I was very disappointed that the Pataudi name was removed. I would have loved Tiger's name to go on, but instead, the powers that be decided on Anderson and Sachin, who are legends of the game. "It (introducing the Pataudi Medal) was obviously an afterthought. They should have announced it in the beginning—that would have had more credibility—but at least they have done something. Common sense has prevailed, and I hope the Pataudi name always remains. Leeds to Birmingham: On the road with TOI Sports "...the achievements of Tendulkar and Anderson can't be argued against. There are two sides to the story. They have named the medal after the Pataudis, which is a very thoughtful thing. "That must be a second choice to appease a lot of Pataudi supporters, of which I am one, but you can't blame them for naming the trophy after Sachin and Anderson," Engineer said. "The whole issue is debatable, but they have kept the name. I hope they invite Sharmila Tagore (Mansur's wife) and his son Saif Ali Khan to present the medal. Last series, they didn't do that. Fingers were pointed at the ECB for that. Hopefully, they give them due credit." India trail the five-match series 0-1 after losing at Headingley from a commanding position. Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
