Sharmila Tagore, wife of the late Indian skipper Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, is reportedly unhappy with the ECB retiring the Pataudi Trophy. The ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) has decided to retire the trophy ahead of the Test series between India and England in June 2025.
The exact reason behind retiring the trophy is not yet known. However, as per reports in Cricbuzz, the ECB is looking to name the trophy after modern legends from the two teams. An ECB spokesperson refrained from making any comment when he was asked to confirm the same.
Sharmila Tagore Takes A Dig At BCCI After ECB's Decision To Retire Pataudi Trophy
Cricbuzz further reported that the ECB had also informed the Pataudi family regarding the latest development. Meanwhile, the legendary actress is hurt and unhappy with this latest development, and she voiced her concern regarding the same. She said that she is yet to hear from the ECB, and it is for the BCCI to decide on the matter. An official statement from the BCCI regarding the retirement of the Pataudi trophy is awaited. India's Tour of England consists of five Tests starting from June 20.
“I haven’t heard from them, but the ECB has sent a letter to Saif that they are retiring the trophy. If the BCCI wants to or does not want to remember Tiger’s legacy, it is for them to decide,” she told Hindustan Times.
India’s Test series in England since 2007 has been played under the name of the Pataudi Trophy. The idea was proposed to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the first India-England Test played in 1932. The suggestion didn’t come from BCCI or ECB. Tiger’s father, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, played Tests for both England and India.
Tiger Pataudi played 46 Tests for India between 1961-75, 40 of them as captain, scoring 2,793 runs at an average of 34.91, remarkably extending his career despite losing vision in one eye following an accident. He passed away in September 2011.
Also Read: ECB Set to Retire Pataudi Trophy Ahead of India’s Test Tour of England
