The Pataudi Trophy, being renamed after Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and England's James Anderson, has sparked a fierce debate, with few viewing it as a fitting tribute to two modern legends, but many deeming it a disrespectful sidelining of the Pataudi legacy. The sentiment of disrespect was also echoed by Indian cricket icon Sunil Gavaskar, who called the move "disturbing."

The BCCI placed the onus on the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), stating that it was their proposal to rename the Trophy. The Pataudi Trophy, commissioned in 2007 by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), was instituted to mark the 75th anniversary of India's debut Test match in 1932. The Trophy honours a unique cricketing dynasty — the Pataudi family — which produced two India captains: Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, the only cricketer to play Tests for both India and England, and his son, Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, one of India's most charismatic and visionary skippers.

Despite the strong reactions surrounding the proposed renaming, voices close to the late Nawab believe that Tiger himself would not have been involved in the controversy. This isn't the first time the naming of the Pataudi Trophy has been the centre of controversy.

Back in 2012, Sharmila Tagore, the wife of the late cricketer, had written to then-BCCI president N. Srinivasan, urging the Board to officially recognise the India–England series held in India as the Pataudi Trophy. However, the BCCI clarified that the home leg of the series would continue to be played for the Anthony de Mello Trophy, named after one of the Board's founding administrators.

Tagore's letter, written on November 2, 2012, stated: "As you are aware, next week the India-England Test series begins. I am given to understand ECB has already written to BCCI requesting to make the trophy official." But the BCCI responded firmly: "India-England Test Series in India is played for the Anthony De Mello trophy instituted in 1951 in the name of the first secretary of the BCCI, recognising his contribution to Indian cricket."

As a former player and close companion, Indian legend the late Bishan Singh Bedi once noted in the book titled Pataudi: The Nawab of Cricket, that such controversies wouldn't have perturbed the late Nawab Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi himself.

"The ongoing confusion surrounding the naming of the Trophy for the Anglo-Indian Test series — the Pataudi Trophy — cast a poor light on the Board of Control for Cricket in India. While Sharmila Tagore may have been dismayed by the Board's indifference, it's doubtful whether Tiger Pataudi himself would have been bothered to respond to such disappointing conduct."

However, despite such institutional resistance, Tiger Pataudi's influence in Indian cricket is legendary and impossible to erase. Appointed captain at the young age of 21, he led India in 40 of the 46 Tests and scored 2793 runs at an average of 34.91 and that too while playing with the handicap of one functional eye.

"Nawab Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi remains a singular figure in Indian cricket — a rarity with few, if any, parallels in the global game," reads Bedi's glowing tribute. "A visionary well ahead of his time, Pataudi was often misunderstood during his playing career and rarely received due recognition for his immense contributions to Indian cricket. His legacy, however, is undeniable. History will remember Tiger Pataudi for the authority and vision he brought to Indian cricket — a realm long dominated by narrow regional biases," Bedi had written.

As the debate continues to swirl around the proposed renaming of the Pataudi Trophy, what remains clear is that Tiger Pataudi's timeless composure and quiet dignity — much like his game — continue to define his legacy.

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