Sunil Gavaskar not pleased with the retirement of the Pataudi Trophy, tells Indian cricketers to “reject ECB's offer”

The Indian cricket legend urges recent Indian players to refrain from allowing the ECB to use their names in place of Tiger Pataudi for the award.

The Pataudi Trophy, named after the Pataudi family, which gave India two captains, namely Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi and Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, has been a prestigious award given to the winner of the bilateral Test series between India and England in England since 2007.

So far five editions of the series has taken place with England winning three of them and India winning one with the remaining one ending in a stalemate.

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar is displeased with the England and Wales Cricket Board's (ECB) decision to retire the trophy.

"It shows a total lack of sensitivity to the contribution made by the Pataudis to cricket in both England and India," Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.

Furthermore, he urged more recent Indian players to refrain from allowing the ECB to use their names in place of Tiger Pataudi for the award.

"Here’s hoping that if an Indian player has been approached, he'll have the good sense to politely decline — not only out of respect for two former India captains but also to avoid the same fate of having a trophy named after him retired after he is gone," he added.

Both Iftikar Ali Khan Pataudi and Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi (Tiger Pataudi) have played a crucial role in the history of cricket in both England and India.

Iftikar Ali Khan Pataudi is renowned for being the only Test cricketer to have played for both India and England and being the captain of Indian team from 1946.

Meanwhile Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, his son, nicknamed “Tiger Pataudi”, was also a renowned Indian cricketer, being the captain of the Indian cricket team and playing 46 Tests for the country.

Despite disliking the decision, Gavaskar acknowledges that the ECB is fully entitled to retire the trophy and name it after “one of their own players.”

Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan -- son of late Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi -- has received a letter from the ECB to inform the family of their decision to retire the Pataudi Trophy. His mother, Bollywood actress Sharmila Tagore stated "They haven't contacted me, but the ECB has sent a letter to Saif saying that they are retiring the trophy."

"It is up to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) if they want to remember Tiger's legacy or not" she added.

The upcoming five match Test series between India and England will begin on June 20 this year in Leeds and the rest of the matches will be played in Birmingham, Lord’s, Manchester, and The Oval respectively. Unfortunately, the award of the Test series will no longer bear the Pataudi name.