Sharmila Tagore distressed at ECB 'retiring' Pataudi Trophy ahead of India's tour of England: 'If BCCI wants to...'

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is reportedly set to retire the Pataudi Trophy, which is handed to the winner of the bilateral Test series between India and England played in England and is likely to come into effect ahead of the impending series in June-July when the Rohit Sharma-led side will tour England for five Tests. The move left Bollywood actor Sharmila Tagore distressed. ECB set to retire Pataudi Trophy

ECB wrote a letter to Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, son of former India captain, the late Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, about retiring the trophy. "I haven't heard from them, but the ECB has sent a letter to Saif that they are retiring the trophy," Sharmila told Hindustsn Times. "If the BCCI wants to or does not want to remember Tiger's legacy, it is for them to decide."

The decision has yet to be made public, but BCCI was unavailable to comment.

The Pataudi Trophy was first awarded in 2007 to commemorate 75 years of bilateral cricket relations between India and England. Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, Tiger's father, played Tests for both England and India between 1932 and 1946. Tiger played 46 Tests for India between 1961 and 1975.

This is not the first time Sharmila has been left upset at ECB.

"The English team was taken away for photo opportunities and to celebrate and Tiger was left standing by the trophy. Andrew Strauss, the English captain at the time, noticed Tiger standing unsure of what to do and went over to him.

"Tiger handed him the trophy but this exchange was neither photographed nor televised. This was in August. We had gone to London especially at the invitation of the ECB for the presentation of the Pataudi Trophy and so we were naturally a little confused that things had not gone as planned as late as the official lunch time of the same day as the match.

"On our return to India Tiger fell ill and was admitted to the hospital. He passed away in September. Our family had other priorities at the time, and consequently, we could not give the matter our attention," she said in 2018 to Sportstar.

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