“His record away is nowhere near as good” - Indian legend’s scathing attack on Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy naming during ENG vs IND 2025 1st Test

Former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar slammed the England Cricket Board (ECB) for having James Anderson's name ahead of Sachin Tendulkar's in renaming the trophy for England's home Test series against India. Instituted in 2007 as the Pataudi Trophy, the trophy was renamed the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, starting from the ongoing five-Test series.

The trophy was named after the iconic cricketers from the two countries, Tendulkar and Anderson. While the former is the all-time leading run-scorer in Test history with 15,921 runs, the latter is third all-time in Test wickets with 704.

In his column for the Mid-Day, Gavaskar was critical of the ECB having Anderson's name preceding Tendulkar's, saying:

"He (Sachin Tendulkar) is numero uno as far as runs and centuries are concerned in Test cricket, but also at the one-day level, too, he has more runs than anybody else. Anderson is third in the list of wicket takers in Test cricket, and his record is nowhere as good as Tendulkar's in one-day cricket. Jimmy Anderson was a terrific bowler, but mainly in English conditions, and his record away is nowhere near as good as Tendulkar's is."

He added:

"The ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) is fully entitled to call the series by any name they choose, but for most, if not all, Indian cricket lovers, it is jarring to know that Anderson's name comes first. Not only is Sachin Tendulkar, along with Kapil Dev, the greatest Indian cricketer, but also senior to Anderson by more than a dozen years."

The renaming of the trophy was met with severe criticism from former players and fans, who believed Pataudi's legacy deserved continued recognition.

"What if the series is drawn?" - Sunil Gavaskar on the Pataudi Medal

Sunil Gavaskar criticized the lack of importance given to the Pataudi family by awarding the series-winning captain the 'Pataudi Medal'. Instead, he believes the medal should be given to the Player of the Match after each Test, culminating with the Pataudi Trophy for the Player of the Series.

"The announcement of the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy also said that respect would be given to the Pataudis by having a medallion for the captain of the team winning the series. Why the captain and what if the series is drawn?," said Gavaskar.

He added:

"That’s why it would have been better to have had a Pataudi medal for the Man Of The Match for every Test, culminating in the Pataudi Trophy for the Player Of The Series. This way, the Pataudis will be remembered after every Test match played as well as after the series is finished in England.It would be interesting to hear what Indian cricket lovers feel on this subject,"

Team India won the first-ever Pataudi Trophy with a 1-0 Test series win in England in 2007. However, England won the next three in 2011, 2014, and 2018 before the latest edition ended in a 2-2 draw in 2021/22.

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Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran