BCCI Urges ECB To Name Individual Award After Pataudi To Protect Legacy

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After the India-England Test series was renamed the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy from the Pataudi Trophy, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly requested the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to name one of the individual awards after MK Pataudi to keep his legacy alive.

Pataudi, famously called 'Tiger', is one of India's most charismatic and successful former captains. He took over the India job at the age of 21, only months after a serious car accident that impaired his sight in his right eye. Under him, India won nine Tests, including their first-ever away win, in New Zealand.

One of the greatest fielders in the world, Pataudi was said to have instilled his fearlessness into his (mostly older) teammates, while also fostering more unity in a still-young independent country. He had a deep connection with England, having made his First-Class debut for Sussex, which was said to be a major reason behind naming the trophy between the two teams after him, and a big point in the criticism of the change.

"It's the ECB who decides on whom they want to name their series. The BCCI has no role in it as it's their home series. We have requested them to name one of the post-match Trophy on Pataudi and they will revert to us," The Indian Express quoted a BCCI official as saying.

The ECB is said to be following the modern way of naming rubbers, like the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Sachin Tendulkar and James Anderson are one of the greatest cricketers for India and England, respectively, too.

But Pataudi's family has been left disappointed by the change.

His daughter, Soha, said: "For us, it is disappointing that they are considering or have chosen to retire the Pataudi Trophy because I think that my father's contribution to Indian cricket has been immense and in some form, I feel that it is important to recognise the contribution of the people in early years, especially somebody like him, who really inculcated the sense of Indian-ness and oneness and a sense of pride, winning the first overseas Test and things like that." She added, "I think he should be remembered in some form, in some way and hopefully the BCCI will consider some other way of doing that, if not this."