England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) decision to retire Pataudi Trophy and rename the upcoming England versus India Test series as ‘Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy’ has become a topic of debate.
Since 2007, India’s Test tours of England were played for the Pataudi Trophy, which was named in the honour of Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi and his son, Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi.
Likewise, the India versus England Test series played in India was called the Anthony de Mello Trophy, named after a former president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
With the Pataudi Trophy now retired, batting legend Sachin Tendulkar wants Pataudi legacy to remain part of India-England bilateral series.
According to a Cricbuzz report, Tendulkar has spoken to BCCI and ECB to continue with the Pataudi legacy in the marquee Test series.
There seems to be a change of heart in the ECB after Tendulkar’s request. Additionally, Jay Shah -- current chair of the ICC -- played a critical role in ensuring that the Pataudi name in the bilateral series remains intact.
“Yes, there is a confirmed plan to retain the Pataudi link in the England-India series," an ECB official told Cricbuzz.
It is understood that the authorities will name a medallion in the name of the late Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, which will, in all probability, be handed to the winning skipper.
Meanwhile, the proposed grand launch of the ‘Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy’ has been postponed. The decision to defer the launch comes in the aftermath of the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad.
As per reports, the trophy-naming ceremony was scheduled for Saturday (June 14) on the sidelines of the WTC Final between South Africa and Australia at Lord’s.
“Given the tragic events in India, the announcement may wait a while out of respect (for the lives lost). The BCCI are still deciding on the right time for the announcement. The announcement had been kept flexible due to the tragedy," an ECB official was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
More than 275 people, including 241 on board AI-171 Air India aircraft that crashed near the Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon, lost their lives in what is being considered as one of the worst aviation disasters ever.
