Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar is not happy with the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) move to retire the Pataudi Trophy. For the uninformed, this trophy is awarded to the winner of the bilateral Test series between India and England in England. The latest development is likely to take effect before the upcoming five-Test series between India and England in June-July.
ECB Informs Pataudi’s Family Through Saif Ali Khan
The ECB has already approached Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan, son of the late Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, a former India captain, to break the news to the family.
The Pataudi Trophy was first introduced in 2007 to mark 75 years of India and England’s bilateral cricket relations. Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, who was a former India captain, represented the nation in 46 Tests, compiling 2,793 runs with an average of 34.91.
Sunil Gavaskar Slams ECB for Insensitivity
Gavaskar was not diplomatic in his words when he criticized the ECB for their decision to retire the Pataudi Trophy. He also appealed to Indian cricketers not to accept ECB’s offer to put their names instead of Tiger Pataudi if they are approached.
“The latest news that ECB is retiring the Pataudi Trophy, which is awarded to the victors of the Test series between England and India in England, is quite disturbing. One has never heard before of a trophy dedicated to individual players being retired, although the decision rests solely with the ECB, and the BCCI could well have been given notice,” Gavaskar mentioned in his column for Sportstar.
“It shows a total lack of sensitivity to the contribution made by the Pataudis to cricket in both England and India. 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,” he added.
‘Easily Justified’ But Still Disheartening Says Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar feels the ECB is well within its rights to rename the trophy in honor of someone else. But he is not fond of the move to drop Tiger Pataudi’s name.
“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,” said Gavaskar.
Sharmila Tagore Also Reacts to Trophy Retirement
Bollywood actress Sharmila Tagore also condemned the decision to retire the Pataudi Trophy earlier. In an interview, she stated, “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,” she added.
The five-Test series between India and England will start on June 20 in Leeds. The remaining four matches will be staged at Birmingham, Lord’s, Manchester and The Oval. The final Test of the series will start on July 31.
