The renowned Sachin Tendulkar has now broken his silence on the issue surrounding the Pataudi Trophy and the England Cricket Board's choice to rename the Test series between India and England as the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. It would have been fantastic if a tournament of this magnitude had been named in Tendulkar's honor. But in profound appreciation for the Pataudi family's lasting legacy and their tremendous contributions to Indian cricket, the Little Master has promised to do all he can to see that it flourishes.

"I have [remain silent], yes." So let me tell you everything. The BCCI and the ECB ultimately made the decision to retire the trophy. They only informed me of their choice once they had made it. I am mindful of the contribution the Pataudi family has made to Indian cricket. With distinction, Tiger Pataudi led India, while Pataudi Senior represented both England and India. Although I wasn't born then, I've heard tales of their games, and those tales encourage us all, Tendulkar said to RevSportz.

"For that reason, I was determined to make sure the legacy remained intact. I contacted the family and spoke with them after I found out. Following that, I informed the ECB, the BCCI, and Mr. Jay Shah that action needed to be taken to preserve the legacy. They listened to my perspective, and then we had a second discussion during which the decision was made to link the series to the Pataudi name and give the winning captain the Pataudi Medal of Excellence. I have always revered my elders, and I did all I could to ensure that the Pataudi heritage remains connected to this series.

When India won its second Test series in England in 2007, the India-England series was renamed the Pataudi Trophy. To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the first-ever India vs. England Test match in 1932, the trophy was given to the Indian team, then captained by Rahul Dravid, which included Tendulkar, following a 1-0 victory over England in the three-Test series. The trophy symbolizes the close cricketing bond between the Pataudis and the India-England rivalry, and it is a staple of Indian cricket history.

James Anderson's response and the backlash

The announcement of the ECB's decision to retire the Pataudi Trophy was met with widespread outrage from supporters and former cricketers alike. Sunil Gavaskar openly voiced his disagreement with the decision, and the BCCI eventually requested the ECB to present the Pataudi medal to the winning captain in response to a lot more similar opinions. Anderson was the first to respond to the renaming, hailing it as a great honor and showering Tendulkar with accolades.

"It's a great honor. I'm not sure I can believe it yet. I really looked up to Sachin when I was younger, but I don't want to insult his age. I recall seeing him, a total legend of the sport, and I also played against him a lot. Therefore, it is a great honor for me to own this trophy, and I could not be happier, Anderson said to ESPNcricinfo.

The Anderson-Tendulkar trophy was supposed to be unveiled last Saturday, which turned out to be Day 4 of the World Test Championship between Australia and South Africa, but it had to be pushed back because of the Air India plane catastrophe, which resulted in many fatalities in India. Prior to the series beginning in Headingley on Friday, Tendulkar had maintained an unusual silence on the issue before finally speaking out the day before.

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