Reports said the ECB later decided to award the "Pataudi Medal of Excellence" to the winning captain on Sachin Tendulkar's intervention.
Published Jun 20, 2025 | 6:27 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 21, 2025 | 9:43 AM
Since 2007, the Test series played in England between India and England has been named the Pataudi Trophy, honouring Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi—who played for both England and India—and his son Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi.
Synopsis: The BCCI and ECB jointly announced the retirement of both the Pataudi and de Mello trophies, and introduced a unified Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, named after James Anderson and Sachin Tendulkar, as a single commemorative prize for all future Test series between the two cricketing nations.
The State Platform for Common School System – Tamil Nadu (SPCSS-TN) has condemned the England Cricket Board (ECB)’s move to rename the historic Pataudi Trophy as the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
In a media statement, SPCSS-TN termed the move an “insensitive erasure of India’s multicultural legacy.” Since 2007, the Test series played in England between India and England has been named the Pataudi Trophy, honouring Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi—who played for both England and India—and his son Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, one of India’s most admired captains.
Test series played in India between the two countries were contested for the Anthony de Mello Trophy.
Reports said the ECB later decided to award the “Pataudi Medal of Excellence” to the winning captain after Sachin Tendulkar’s intervention.
In June 2025, the BCCI and ECB jointly announced the retirement of both the Pataudi and de Mello trophies, and introduced a unified Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, named after James Anderson and Sachin Tendulkar, as a single commemorative prize for all future Test series between the two cricketing nations.
While both Tendulkar and Anderson are widely acknowledged as cricketing legends, the SPCSS-TN and other critics argued that the renaming undermined the symbolic and historical significance of the Pataudi legacy.
PB Prince Gajendra Babu, General Secretary of SPCSS-TN, noted that the Pataudi Trophy was more than just a sporting symbol—it reflected India’s pluralistic character, its post-colonial cricketing diplomacy, and the country’s ability to honour multicultural legacies.
“Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi and Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi are not just names. They represent the very idea of India—multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-lingual, and yet unified. The Trophy stood for this ethos,” he said.
The SPCSS-TN accused the ECB of acting unilaterally in retiring the trophy, allegedly informing the Pataudi family of the decision only after it had already been made. The statement also criticised the BCCI’s silence on the issue, calling it an implicit endorsement of an “insensitive move.”
“Mr. Jay Shah, the President of ICC, owes the nation an explanation for his silence. His inaction enabled the erasure of a legacy that represents India’s inclusive spirit,” said Babu.
Following the backlash, it is learnt that after Sachin Tendulkar personally intervened, the BCCI and ECB agreed to introduce a “Pataudi Medal of Excellence”, to be awarded to the series-winning captain. However, critics see this as a token gesture that fails to compensate for the symbolic loss of retiring the trophy itself.
While the SPCSS-TN acknowledged the immense contributions of both Tendulkar and Anderson to the sport, it argued that renaming a trophy is not the only or best way to honour cricketing excellence.
“There are many ways to celebrate great players. But rewriting history in the process of doing so dishonours others and dilutes the values cricket once stood for,” said the SPCSS-TN.
The SPCSS-TN has appealed to cricket lovers, players, and administrators across the world to urge the ECB and BCCI to restore the Pataudi Trophy and protect the historic and cultural symbolism that it carried for both nations.
The controversy comes amid broader concerns over the increasing commercialisation of cricket, with traditional values and institutions being sidelined in favour of spectacle and brand value.
“Our children should know how unity was built in a diverse nation like India. Recognising diversity is preserving unity. Retaining the Pataudi Trophy is preserving Indian pluralism,” the statement said.
