Jun 22, 2025 04:01 PM IST
Sunil Gavaskar urged the trophy to be known as the ‘Tendulkar-Anderson’ trophy quite than the opposite manner round.
The controversy over renaming the Pataudi Trophy to the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy continues to simmer. After widespread criticism of the England Cricket Board’s determination to retire the enduring Pataudi title, cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has questioned the board for putting James Anderson’s title earlier than Sachin Tendulkar’s. The much-awaited silverware was unveiled by the 2 greats themselves on the eve of the five-Take a look at collection between India and England. However the Little Grasp argues that Tendulkar’s cricketing legacy far surpasses Anderson’s, regardless of the alphabetical order putting Anderson’s ‘A’ earlier than Tendulkar’s ‘T’.
“The ECB is totally entitled to name the collection by any title they select however for many, if not all, Indian cricket lovers it’s jarring to know that Anderson’s title comes first. Not solely is Sachin Tendulkar together with Kapil Dev the best Indian cricketer, but in addition senior to Anderson by greater than a dozen years. He’s numero uno so far as runs and centuries are involved in Take a look at cricket but in addition on the one-day degree too he has extra runs than anyone else. Anderson is third within the record of wicket takers in Take a look at cricket and his file is nowhere pretty much as good as Tendulkar in one-day cricket,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for the Mid-Day.
Additionally Learn: Sachin Tendulkar breaks silence on Anderson-Tendulkar trophy controversy
“Tendulkar can also be a part of a World cup-winning staff which Anderson has not been. Jimmy Anderson was a terrific bowler however primarily in English situations and his file away is nowhere close to pretty much as good as Tendulkar’s is. So, by all accounts Tendulkar’s title ought to come first. This argument that they’re going by the letters of the alphabet the place the letter A comes earlier than T is such a lame one for there’s merely no comparability with what Tendulkar has accomplished and achieved and what Anderson has for his or her respective international locations. Please don’t misunderstand, there’s large respect for Anderson however as an Indian, for me Tendulkar will all the time be above him. I additionally urge all Indian cricket lovers together with the Indian media to name it the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy.”
Gavaskar suggests one other change
Gavaskar additionally expressed reservations concerning the newly launched Pataudi Medal of Excellence, which the ECB will award to the profitable captain. Following the BCCI and Tendulkar’s efforts to protect the Pataudi legacy, the English board opted to introduce the medal quite than totally retiring the Pataudi title. Nevertheless, Gavaskar argues that honouring the Participant of the Match with the medal can be extra becoming than awarding it to the profitable captain.
“The announcement of the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy additionally stated that respect can be given to the Pataudis by having a medallion for the captain of the staff profitable the collection. Why the captain and what if the collection is drawn? That is why it could have been higher to have had a Pataudi medal for the person of the match for each Take a look at, culminating within the Pataudi Trophy for the participant of the collection. This fashion, the Pataudis will likely be remembered after each Take a look at match performed in addition to after the collection is completed in England,” added Gavaskar, the previous India captain.
