NEW DELHI: The Pataudi legacy will continue to be part of the storied India-England cricket rivalry, with the winning captain of the upcoming five-Test series set to receive a medal named in honour of the royal family that shares deep ties with the sport in both nations. The series kicks off with the first Test at Headingley Stadium in Leeds on June 20.The decision to rename the Pataudi Trophy to Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy was taken by the England and Wales Cricket Board. A formal announcement was due on the sidelines of the WTC final at Lord’s last week but it was put off in light of the horrific Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad.Renaming the trophy drew criticism from the likes of former India captain Sunil Gavaskar.However, it has been learned that Tendulkar himself reached out to the ECB and expressed that the Pataudi name should remain a part of India-England cricket. ICC chairman Jay Shah also had a role to play.“When this happened Sachin reached out to ECB and conveyed that Pataudi name should remain a part of the India-England rivalry. Mr Jay Shah was involved in the discussions. ECB has agreed to the request and decided to present Pataudi Medal to the winning captain,” said a BCCI source told PTI.
With the planned ceremony not going ahead in the UK, a formal announcement on the renaming of the trophy is scheduled for June 19, a day before the series-opener at Leeds.Tendulkar is the leading run getter in Test cricket while Anderson has the most wickets in the traditional format as a fast bowler.
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The Pataudis, on the other hand, have deep ties to the India-England cricketing landscape. Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi and his son Mansur both captained India and both played county cricket in England.
