Sachin Tendulkar has shared his thoughts on the renaming of the India-England Test series trophy to the ‘Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy’. He also spoke about his efforts to honour the Pataudi legacy.
Sachin Tendulkar Responds to Trophy Renaming Controversy
The BCCI and ECB recently decided to drop the name ‘Pataudi Trophy’, which was originally named after former India captain Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi. This move faced criticism from fans and cricket experts, and now Sachin Tendulkar has responded to the controversy.
“Let me then tell you the full thing. First things first, the decision to retire the trophy rested with the BCCI and the ECB. Only after they had taken the decision did they communicate that to me,” Tendulkar said in an interview with RevSportz.
“As far as the Pataudi family is concerned, I am conscious of the contribution they have made to Indian cricket. Pataudi senior played for England and for India, while Tiger Pataudi captained India with distinction. I did not see them play for I wasn’t born, but I have indeed heard stories and those stories inspire us all,” Sachin Tendulkar said.
“That’s why I was determined to ensure that the legacy was kept intact,” Sachin Tendulkar stated.
Sachin Tendulkar’s Efforts to Preserve the Pataudi Trophy Legacy
Furthermore, Sachin Tendulkar revealed that he had called up the ICC President and former BCCI Secretary Jay Shah to try and keep the legacy of the Pataudi Trophy.
“When I got to know, I called the (Pataudi) family and had a conversation. Thereafter, I spoke to Mr Jay Shah, the BCCI and the ECB, and mentioned to them that something had to be done to ensure the legacy stayed on,” Tendulkar revealed.
“Not many know that the first-ever flight that I took was also to England in 1988 as part of the Star Cricket Club team. Thereafter, my first international hundred was at Old Trafford, and was a match-saving one which kept the series alive. I was the first non-English cricketer to play for Yorkshire, where you are now. Also, my mother-in-law is English, so there is a family connection there as well. So, England was a very strong connection in my 24-year-long career, and as I said I also have an opposition supporter within my family! So in every way I feel humbled that the trophy was named after Jimmy Anderson who has been one of the greatest players to play for England and myself,” Sachin said.
The Pataudi legacy will still continue in a new way – the winning captain will now receive the Pataudi Medal of Excellence. Sachin Tendulkar shared what it means to have the series trophy named after him, especially because he always saw England as a special challenge in his career.
The first Test of the new Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy begins on Friday, June 20.
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