New Delhi: Cricket legend Kapil Dev has expressed his surprise and called the decision “strange” after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced the renaming of the Pataudi Trophy to the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The trophy, previously awarded to the winner of the Test series hosted by England against India, will now honour two modern greats of the game: James Anderson and Sachin Tendulkar.
Speaking on Wednesday, Kapil Dev, a revered figure in Indian cricket and captain of the 1983 World Cup-winning side, admitted the move felt somewhat out of the blue. “It feels a little strange… like, does this also happen?” he reportedly remarked. While acknowledging that such changes occur in cricket, he emphasized, “At the end of the day, there is no difference. Cricket is cricket. The cricket on the field should be the same.”
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The Pataudi Trophy was instituted in 2007 by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) to commemorate the 75th anniversary of India’s first Test match in 1932. It was named in honour of the illustrious Pataudi family, particularly Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi and his son Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, both of whom captained India and had significant ties to English cricket.
The ECB’s decision to rename the trophy has sparked considerable debate and some criticism from various quarters, including other former players like Sunil Gavaskar. However, reports suggest that even Sachin Tendulkar himself, along with ICC chairman Jay Shah, intervened to ensure the Pataudi legacy would not be entirely lost. As a result, the ECB has confirmed that a “Pataudi Medal for Excellence” will now be awarded to the winning captain of the series, ensuring a continued link to the historic cricketing family.
The India-England Test series is set to begin on June 20, marking a new chapter under the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. While the cricketing fraternity digests this significant change, the focus remains on the action on the field and the renewed rivalry between two of Test cricket’s premier nations.