Former Indian cricket captain Sunil Gavaskar has expressed his discontent regarding the England and Wales Cricket Board's (ECB) decision to retire the Pataudi Trophy. This trophy is awarded to the victor of the bilateral Test series between India and England held in England. The decision is anticipated to take effect prior to the upcoming five-Test series between the two nations scheduled for June and July.

The ECB has reached out to Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, the son of the late Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, who also served as a former captain of India, to inform the family of this decision.

The Pataudi Trophy was first introduced in 2007 to commemorate 75 years of cricketing relations between India and England. Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, a distinguished former captain, participated in 46 Test matches for India, amassing 2,793 runs with an average of 34.91.

Gavaskar did not hold back in his criticism of the ECB's choice to retire the Pataudi Trophy. He also encouraged Indian cricketers to reject any request from the ECB to replace the name of Tiger Pataudi with their own if approached.

"The announcement that the ECB intends to retire the Pataudi Trophy, awarded to the winners of the Test series between England and India, is indeed troubling. It is unprecedented to hear of a trophy named after individual players being retired, although the decision rests solely with the ECB, and the BCCI may have been notified," Gavaskar stated in his column for Sportstar.

"This reflects a complete disregard for the significant contributions made by the Pataudi family to cricket in both England and India. While there may be plans for a new trophy named after more contemporary players, I hope that if an Indian player is approached, he will wisely decline — not only out of respect for two former Indian captains but also to prevent the possibility of having a trophy named in his honor retired after his passing," he added.

'ECB fully entitled'

Sunil Gavaskar asserts that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has the right to rename the trophy in honor of another player. Nevertheless, he expresses discontent with the decision to eliminate Tiger Pataudi's name from it.

"The ECB is entirely justified in choosing to name the trophy after one of their own players, but I, along with many Indian cricket fans, sincerely hope that any other Indian cricketer will have the wisdom to refuse, to prevent a recurrence of what has happened with the Pataudi Trophy," Gavaskar remarked.

Bollywood actress Sharmila Tagore has also voiced her disapproval of the decision to retire the Pataudi Trophy. In an interview with Hindustan Times, she stated, "I have not received any communication from them, but the ECB has informed Saif that they are retiring the trophy."

"If the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chooses to remember or disregard Tiger's legacy, that is their prerogative," she added.

The five-match Test series between India and England is set to commence on June 20 in Leeds, with the subsequent matches scheduled to take place in Birmingham, Lord's, Manchester, and The Oval. The final Test of the series will start on July 31.

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