"Hope that any other Indian cricketer will have the smarts to decline": Former India captain slams ECB's decision to retire Pataudi Trophy

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has criticized the England Cricket Board (ECB)'s decision to retire the Pataudi Trophy, that has been awarded to winners of a Test series played between India and England in England since 2007. The 75-year-old said that the decision reflected a "total lack of sensitivity to the contribution made by the Pataudis" to cricket in both countries.

Gavaskar hoped that if an Indian cricketer was approached to have his name on the trophy, he politely declined the honour, so as to not face the same fate as the Pataudis in future.

"The recent news that the ECB is going to retire the Pataudi Trophy, given to the winners of the Test series between England and India in England, is disturbing indeed.

"It shows a total lack of sensitivity to the contribution made by the Pataudis to cricket in both England and India. There may well be a new trophy named after more recent players, and here’s hoping that if an Indian player has been approached, he will have the good sense to politely decline," Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.

Gavaskar added:

"The ECB is fully entitled to name the trophy after one of their own players, but I, along with loads of Indian cricket supporters, fervently hope that any other Indian cricketer will have the smarts to decline, lest history repeats itself as it has with the Pataudi Trophy."

Reports from Cricbuzz claimed that the Pataudi family had been informed by the ECB about the decision to retire the trophy.

"That is the understanding from the ECB. Apparently trophies are retired after some time," a source close to the Pataudi family told Cricbuzz.

Pataudi Trophy constituted to commemorate 75 years of the first India-England Test

The Pataudi Trophy was first awarded during India's tour to England in 2007 to commemorate 75 years of the first India-England Test match that was played at Lord's in 1932. India were the first winners of the trophy under the leadership of Rahul Dravid, who led the side to a 1-0 win in the three-match Test series in 2007.

Since then, England have won the trophy on three occasions in 2011, 2014 and 2018. The series ended in a 2-2 draw the last time both teams played a Test series in England.

India and England contest for the Anthony de Mello Trophy when their Test series is played in India.