The BCCI asks the ECB to reconsider changing the Pataudi Trophy’s name to the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has been asked to reconsider renaming the Pataudi Trophy the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The BCCI asked the hosts to honour the memory of Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, India’s youngest Test captain, even though they denied any involvement in the name change because the series would take place in England.

The ECB makes the final decision about the series’ names.

Since Pataudi’s name was left out of the names of India’s Test series in England, the Indian board has written to the English board requesting that they name the individual player award in his honour. According to a recent media report, the BCCI is making every effort to uphold the legacy of their previous skipper.

“They will get back to us after we ask them to name one of the post-match prizes after Pataudi. Since it’s their home series, the BCCI has no involvement,” The Indian Express cited a BCCI official as stating.

The Pataudi Trophy renaming controversy

The debate over the trophy’s renaming began when the ECB decided to celebrate the legacy of the game’s top wicket-taker, James Anderson, and top run-scorer, Sachin Tendulkar, by renaming the Test series between India and England on the latter’s soil. Both experts and fans have differing thoughts about the move.

A few Pataudi family members opposed the idea, as did Sunil Gavaskar. One of India’s best Test captains was Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi. At the age of 21, he was appointed as India’s youngest Test captain to date. In 1967, he assisted India in winning their first Test match abroad in New Zealand.

The ECB reportedly told Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, the son of MAK Pataudi, that the trophy will be renamed. According to the BCCI, the series hosts are fully entitled to choose the trophy’s name. All they want, though, is that the legacy of their former Test captain be preserved as best as can.