James Anderson has said he feels “very proud” after the England-India Test series trophy was renamed the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy. This decision was made to honour the legends from England and India, respectively.
The five-match Test series begins on June 20 at Headingley. The official unveiling will take place during the WTC final at Lord’s.
“I still can’t quite believe it. Sachin is someone I looked up to when I was growing up, though I don’t want to do him a disservice with his age,” Anderson told ESPNcricinfo.
“I remember watching him, an absolute legend of the game, and I played against him a lot as well. So, to have this trophy is a huge honour for me, and I couldn’t be more proud.”
What’s the controversy?
Earlier in June, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the BCCI announced that the Pataudi Trophy would now be renamed the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy.
The Pataudi Trophy was started in 2007 to celebrate 75 years since India’s first Test tour of England. It was named after Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, who played Tests for both England and India, and his son Mansoor Ali Khan, a former Indian captain.
While the change modernises the name, the original trophy stood as a symbol of India’s colonial past in cricket and honoured a unique family that bridged two cricketing nations with pride and dignity.
Sunil Gavaskar called the renaming “disturbing indeed”. In his Sportstar column, he argued, “This is the first time one has heard of a trophy named after individual players being retired, though the decision is entirely the ECB’s, and the BCCI may well have been informed.”
Veteran Bollywood actress Sharmila Tagore, the wife of Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, called the move insensitive. She said the Pataudi family had not been consulted.
“Whether the BCCI wants to preserve Tiger’s legacy is for them to decide,” she told HT.
Legacy of Sachin Tendulkar and Jimmy Anderson
Meanwhile, nobody dares to deny the contribution of Sachin Tendulkar and Jimmy Anderson.
Anderson retired in 2024 after playing 188 Tests and taking 704 wickets. Tendulkar retired in 2013 after 200 Tests and scoring 15,921 runs.
They have played Test cricket more than anybody else. Tendulkar holds the top spot in Test appearances while Anderson is Number 2. They are followed by Ricky Ponting (168).
Team India will have a new captain as they play in England. Shubman Gill will lead while Rishabh Pant is his deputy for a team built with future legends.
