Former India captain Sachin Tendulkar has said he did everything in his power to ensure that the legacy of the Pataudi family was preserved, after learning that the India-England Test series was to be renamed the ‘Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy’. Since 2007, the two teams had contested the ‘Pataudi Trophy’ in bilateral Test series. However, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced that the trophy would be renamed from the 2025 series onwards.
The Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy was initially set to be unveiled on June 14, but the ceremony was rescheduled following the tragic loss of lives in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad.
“The Pataudi legacy has to be kept alive. The contribution of the Pataudi family to Indian cricket inspires us all. I spoke to the family and mentioned to them that I would do all I could to keep the legacy alive. I also spoke to Jay Shah, the BCCI and the ECB, and I shared my thoughts,” Tendulkar told RevSportz.
As it turns out, the name ‘Pataudi’ will remain associated with the series. The organisers have reportedly decided to introduce the Pataudi Medal of Excellence, to be awarded to the winning captain at the end of each series.
Tendulkar elaborated that all parties agreed on the importance of preserving the Pataudi legacy, and he did his utmost to ensure that outcome during his discussions with key decision-makers.
“Thereafter, we had a second call, and it was decided to award the Pataudi Medal of Excellence to the winning captain. You need to understand that the decision on retiring the trophy rested with the BCCI and the ECB, and once I was informed, I did all I could to ensure the legacy was kept intact,” he said.
