The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly requested the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to retain the legacy of former Indian captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi by naming an individual player award after him during the upcoming five-Test series between India and England. This comes in the wake of the ECB’s decision to retire the Pataudi Trophy and rename the series as the “Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy” in honour of James Anderson and Sachin Tendulkar.
According to the IndianExpress, the BCCI is looking to preserve the Pataudi legacy in any shape or form. They have asked the ECB to include an individual award in his name for the upcoming five-match Test series, which starts on June 20.
Pataudi Trophy axed
The Pataudi Trophy, introduced in 2007 to mark India’s 75 years in Test cricket, had been the symbol of England–India Test battles played on English soil. The ECB, however, opted to move towards a dual-legend format, following recent trends like the Richards–Botham Trophy (WI–ENG) and Crowe–Thorpe Trophy (NZ–ENG). While the move was welcomed by some, it stirred unease as well. Sunil Gavaskar and members of the Pataudi family expressed disappointment, calling it a disregard for history.
According to reports, the ECB had informed actor Saif Ali Khan, son of the late Tiger Pataudi, about the change earlier this year, but no official explanation was given publicly.
The Pataudi Trophy was established to mark 75 years since India played its first Test match in 1932. It’s named after the Nawab of Pataudi, who was just 21 when he became India’s youngest Test captain. What’s pretty cool is that his dad, Iftikar Ali Khan, played for both England and India. The ECB hasn’t officially announced the series name yet, but apparently they’ve already told the captains about it, and they’re going to reveal the trophy before the first Test.
What has BCCI asked the ECB?
“We have requested them to name one of the post match Trophy on Pataudi and they will revert to us,” a BCCI official told The Indian Express, acknowledging that the ECB had full rights over naming the home series. “It’s the ECB who decides on whom they want to name their series. The BCCI has no role in it as it’s their home series. ”
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