"Sunil Gavaskar rekindles dispute over Pataudi Trophy: Criticizes ECB once more, days after India-England Test series concluded in a tie"
Sunil Gavaskar, the legendary Indian cricketer, has voiced his disapproval over the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB)'s decision to replace the historic Pataudi Trophy with the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy and award the Pataudi Medal to the winning captain in a drawn Test series between India and England.
In a series that ended 2-2, Gavaskar argued that awarding the medal to the winning captain was "silly" because there was no outright winner, and therefore no clear recipient for the medal traditionally linked to the trophy. He also questioned the logic and execution of the ECB’s decision to retire the original trophy and introduce a medal award tied to the captain.
Gavaskar further criticised the ECB for the absence of any member of the Pataudi family during the medal presentation. He noted that the Pataudi family's involvement in the trophy's history was a significant part of its heritage, and their absence during the presentation ceremony raised concerns.
Additionally, Gavaskar questioned why Sachin Tendulkar and James Anderson, after whom the new trophy was named, were not invited to the presentation ceremony despite both being in England at the time. He suggested it would have been fitting for them to be present and highlighted the flawed nature of awarding the medal to the winning captain rather than the Player of the Series, especially if the captain had an ordinary series performance.
In summary, Gavaskar's criticism centered on the replacement of the Pataudi Trophy with the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy without Pataudi family involvement, the impracticality of awarding the Pataudi Medal only to the winning captain when the series was drawn, the exclusion of Tendulkar and Anderson from the ceremony, which he saw as disrespectful, and the suggestion that the Player of the Series would be a more appropriate recipient for the medal than the winning captain.
The 5-match Test series between India and England, previously known as the Pataudi Trophy, was renamed the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy for this series. The ECB decided to present the Pataudi medal to the winning captain instead of the trophy. The series ended in a 2-2 draw, with no member of the Pataudi family present during the post-match presentation ceremony after the 5th and final Test at the Oval.
India's rich cricketing history was questioned once again, as the replacement of the Pataudi Trophy with the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy sparked controversy, especially due to the absence of any Pataudi family member during the presentation ceremony. This instance highlighted the significance of maintaining traditional links and heritage in sports, like Bollywood often does with its films.
