England’s upcoming five-match Test series against India, beginning June 20 in Leeds, will be played for the newly named Tendulkar–Anderson Trophy, following the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) decision to retire the Pataudi Trophy, which had commemorated the series since 2007.
According to media reports, The move has prompted a sharp response from the Indian cricket establishment. A BCCI official, speaking to The Indian Express, clarified the Indian board’s position:
“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. We have requested them to name one of the post match Trophy on Pataudi and they will revert to us.”
This marks an effort by BCCI to ensure that the contribution of Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi — one of India’s most iconic cricket captains — continues to be acknowledged in some official capacity during the series.
Indian cricket greats and Pataudi family respond with dismay
The ECB’s decision to retire the Pataudi Trophy has drawn pointed criticism from Indian cricket legends and the Pataudi family.
Sunil Gavaskar, in a Sportstar column, condemned the move:
“The recent news that the ECB is going to retire the Pataudi Trophy, given to the winners of the Test series between England and India in England, is disturbing indeed. 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. It shows a total lack of sensitivity to the contribution made by the Pataudis to cricket in both England and India,”
He warned against future decisions of a similar nature:
“There may well be a new trophy named after more recent players, and here’s hoping 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 ECB is fully entitled to name the trophy after one of their own players, but I, along with loads of Indian cricket supporters, fervently hope that any other Indian cricketer will have the smarts to decline, lest history repeats itself as it has with the Pataudi Trophy.”
The late Tiger Pataudi’s widow, Sharmila Tagore, expressed disappointment in her comments to Hindustan Times:
“I haven’t heard from them, but the ECB has sent a letter to Saif that they are retiring the trophy. If the BCCI wants to or does not want to remember Tiger’s legacy, it is for them to decide.”
His daughter, Soha Ali Khan, also voiced concern while speaking to Zoom:
“For us, it is disappointing that they are considering or have chosen to retire the Pataudi Trophy because I think that my father’s contribution to Indian cricket has been immense and in some form, I feel that it is important to recognise the contribution of the people in early years, especially somebody like him, who really inculcated the sense of Indian-ness and oneness and a sense of pride, winning the first overseas Test and things like that.”
She continued:
“I think he should be remembered in some form, in some way and hopefully the BCCI will consider some other way of doing that, if not this.”
Tendulkar’s intervention may help retain Pataudi’s legacy
In a significant development, reports suggest that Sachin Tendulkar himself contacted both BCCI and ECB officials, urging them to retain a connection to the Pataudi name even as the series is renamed.
According to Cricbuzz, an ECB official confirmed:
“Yes, there is a confirmed plan to retain the Pataudi link in the England-India series.”
Sources indicate that one of the player awards or a commemorative medallion might be named after Pataudi — a compromise solution supported by both Tendulkar and ICC chairman Jay Shah.
James Anderson reacts to new trophy
James Anderson, the most prolific fast bowler in Test history, expressed his pride at being honoured alongside Tendulkar in this new chapter of cricket history. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, he said:
“It’s a huge honour. I still can’t quite believe it. Sachin is someone I looked up to when I was growing up, though I don’t want to do him a disservice with his age.”
“I remember watching him, an absolute legend of the game, and I played against him a lot as well. So to have this trophy is a huge honour for me, and I couldn’t be more proud.”
On the India–England rivalry, Anderson added:
“There are some great memories, I always loved playing against India. I’d say, after the Ashes, it was the series that England look forward to the most.”
“I obviously had some tough times in India, it’s a really hard place to go, but we won there which was a really special moment, and some of the battles we had in England were great. They had some amazing players.”
Context: from Pataudi to Tendulkar–Anderson
- The Pataudi Trophy was introduced in 2007 to commemorate India’s 75th anniversary in Test cricket. Pataudi, then the youngest Indian Test captain at 21, was a transformative figure in Indian cricket. His father, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, was the rare cricketer to represent both England and India.
- Precedents exist: The ECB has previously renamed historic trophies, such as replacing the Wisden Trophy (England–West Indies) with the Richards–Botham Trophy, and introducing the Crowe–Thorpe Trophy for England–New Zealand.
Looking ahead: dual recognition on the table
As the Test series begins under new Indian skipper Shubman Gill, the Tendulkar–Anderson Trophy signals a changing of the guard — but BCCI’s insistence on honouring Pataudi ensures the past won’t be forgotten.
With the potential for a Pataudi Medal or post‑match award, and a new trophy celebrating two modern greats, cricket appears to be crafting a future that still holds space for its most cherished legacies.
