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New Indian Express
19 hours ago
- Sport
- New Indian Express
Important to recognise contribution of Pataudi to Indian cricket: Sachin Tendulkar after trophy rename
CHENNAI: WHEN Shubman Gill and Ben Stokes walk out for the toss at Headingley on Friday morning, India and England will be playing for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Named after two stalwarts, this will be replacing the Pataudi Trophy which came into existence in 2007 in the honour of former India captains Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, who also played for England in the 1930s, and Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi. Ahead of the 2025 edition, the England Cricket Board (ECB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) came together to name it after Tendulkar and Anderson (the two nations play for the Anthony de Mello Trophy in India). One of the greatest batters ever, Tendulkar holds the record for most runs (15921), matches (200) and centuries (51) in Tests. Anderson (188) is only second to Tendulkar in number of matches while holding the record for most Test wickets as a fast bowler (704). On the eve of the series opener, Tendulkar expressed his gratitude and the honour in having a trophy named after him. "The first time I got to know about it was some time last month, where ECB and BCCI decided to name this trophy after both of us. It's a nice recognition, I thought of our contributions to our respective nations in Test cricket," Tendulkar said in a virtual interaction.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Sachin Tendulkar breaks silence on Anderson-Tendulkar trophy controversy: 'I told Pataudi family I will do all I can…'
The legendary Sachin Tendulkar has finally opened up on the controversy surrounding the Pataudi Trophy and the England Cricket Board's decision to rename the Test series between India and England to the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. In an ideal scenario, Tendulkar would've been thrilled by the idea of having a tournament of such a magnitude named after him, but the Little Master, out of his respect towards the Pataudi legacy and its contribution for Indian cricket, has promised to do everything in his power to ensure the rebranding does not go ahead as planned. "The Pataudi legacy has to be kept alive. The contribution of the Pataudi family to Indian cricket inspires us all. I spoke to the family and mentioned to them that I will do all to keep the legacy alive. I also spoke to Mr. Jay Shah, the BCCI and ECB, and shared my thoughts. Thereafter, we did a second call, and it was decided to award the Pataudi Medal of Excellence to the winning captain. You need to know the decision on retiring the trophy rested with the BCCI and the ECB, and when I was communicated, I did all I could to ensure the legacy was kept intact," RevSportz quoted Tendulkar as saying. Also Read: Kapil Dev reacts sharply to Pataudi Trophy being renamed Anderson-Tendulkar'; 'Felt strange. Does this also happen?' The India-England series was rechristened to the Pataudi Trophy in 2007, when India won only its second Test series in England. The trophy was awarded to the Indian team, then captained by Rahul Dravid, which Tendulkar was a part of, after it beat England 1-0 in the three-Test series, to mark the 75th anniversary of the first-ever India vs England Test match in 1932. The trophy is a part of Indian cricketing folklore, embodying the deep cricketing ties between the Pataudis and the India-England rivalry. Also Read: Sachin Tendulkar steps in, speaks to BCCI, ECB after Pataudi Trophy rebranded to Anderson-Tendulkar; 'Change of heart…' Ever since the news of the ECB's decision to retire the Pataudi Trophy first broke, it was met with plenty of backlash from fans and former cricketers alike. Sunil Gavaskar was very vocal in his criticism of the call, and after plenty of more such reactions, the BCCI urged the ECB to introduce the Pataudi medal to the winning captain. Anderson was the first to react to the rechristening, calling it a huge honour and lavishing praise on Tendulkar. Also Read: No disrespect to Anderson-Tendulkar, but renaming the Pataudi Trophy isn't quite cricket "It's a huge honour. I still can't quite believe it. Sachin is someone I looked up to when I was growing up, though I don't want to do him a disservice with his age. "I remember watching him, an absolute legend of the game, and I played against him a lot as well. So to have this trophy is a huge honour for me, and I couldn't be more proud," Anderson had told ESPNcricinfo. The Anderson-Tendulkar trophy was believed to be unveiled last Saturday, which turned out to be Day 4 of the World Test Championship between South Africa and Australia, but had to be postponed due to the Air India plane tragedy, which led to the loss of several lives back in India. Tendulkar had remained oddly silent on the matter until breaking his silence a day before the series kicks off in Headingley on Friday.
News18
2 days ago
- Sport
- News18
Women's T20 World Cup 2026: India To Open Campaign Against Arch-Rivals Pakistan
Last Updated: Harmanpreet Kaur-led India will start their T20 World Cup campaign against Pakistan on June 14, 2026, at Edgbaston. Harmanpreet Kaur-led India will open their T20 World Cup campaign next year against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday, June 14 at Edgbaston, with the tournament set to commence on June 12 at the same venue, with a clash between hosts England and Sri Lanka. The International Cricket Council and hosts England Cricket Board on Wednesday announced the full schedule of the mega-event, featuring 12 sides. This edition marks the biggest Women's T20 World Cup yet, with the number of sides, more than ever before, vying for the coveted trophy. The 24-day-long tournament will go on till Sunday, July 5, with the final set to be played at the Home of Cricket and will consist of 33 games to be played across seven stadiums in England. Mark your calendars 🗓The fixtures for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 are out 😍 Full details ➡ — ICC (@ICC) June 18, 2025 Besides Edgbaston and the Lord's, Hampshire Bowl, Headingley, Old Trafford, The Oval and the Bristol County Ground are the other stadiums earmarked for the tournament. The two semifinals will be played at the Oval on June 30 and July 2. The 12-team tournament will have two groups of six teams each. ICC. The top two sides from each group will advance to the semifinals. After their opening game against Pakistan, India will move to Headingley for their match against a qualifying side on June 17, followed by contests against the Proteas at Old Trafford on Sunday, June 21. While India will face the second qualifying side of Group 1 on June 25 at Old Trafford again, their toughest match will be against the mighty Aussies on Sunday, June 28, at Lord's. 'At iconic venues across the country, we'll see incredible, world-class athletes battling it out in front of hundreds of thousands of fans, who with every ball bowled and run scored, will be contributing to lasting change," tournament director Beth Barrett-Wild said. First Published: June 18, 2025, 15:43 IST
The Hindu
7 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Bazball faces a moment of reckoning, with India Tests and Ashes in the offing
After being dropped from England's squad for the Test tour of the West Indies in 2022, Stuart Broad wrote in his column in Mail on Sunday about the state of his mind. 'It hit me pretty hard,' conceded one half of England's deadliest ever bowling duo (the other half, James Anderson, had also been dropped). Broad admitted it affected his sleep. He was, however, assured by England Cricket Board interim managing director Andrew Strauss that it wasn't the end of the road. Mere words of consolation those weren't. Broad was back for the home series against New Zealand that summer. A rude shock But, at the first training session at Lord's ahead of the first Test, he was in for a shock, as he revealed recently in the For The Love Of Cricket podcast. Newly appointed captain Ben Stokes told him, 'Broady, I just want to let you know, I am going to whack every ball you bowl for four or six.' Broad, who was hoping, on his return, to impress the skipper and new coach Brendon McCullum, was taken aback. 'Really?' he wondered. 'Why?' 'I want the guys I am going to lead this week to look at me and see that I am playing fearlessly, even in training, testing my limits,' replied Stokes. Broad's thoughts were slightly different: 'All my teammates are now going to see me get thumped everywhere.' ALSO READ | Transitions are difficult but Gill and Pant make it exciting The prolific seamer, nevertheless, charged in and bowled what he would to Tom Latham in the Test, at the top of the left-hander's off-stump. Stokes kept his word. 'He must have scored 150 in half-an-hour,' Broad reckoned. That was the teaser for Bazball. McCullum and Stokes together authored a new, exciting chapter in the story of the century-and-a-half-old Test cricket. That summer saw England play stunningly aggressive cricket to win chasing in four successive Tests, the targets among the 13 biggest in England's history. The highest of those came against India at Edgbaston, in the rescheduled fifth Test from the 2021 series — England made 378 for three at 4.93 runs an over. Against the Kiwis, too, two of the chases were achieved at rates of 5.98 and 5.44. Bazball had arrived. Three years later, it is facing its biggest challenge, across 10 Tests spread over seven months. The first of those Tests starts at Leeds on Friday. The five-match India series will be followed by the Ashes in Australia. When England and Australia last met in a Test series, two summers ago, Bazball had divided opinion, after the 2-2 score, with one Test being drawn (rain washed out the final day). Draw was no option, though, when McCullum set Bazball rolling against New Zealand in 2022. In the second Test at Trent Bridge, England had been set a target of 299 from 72 overs on the final day. At tea, the score was 139 for four, with Jonny Bairstow and Stokes at the crease. ALSO READ | Can Jaiswal pass the Dukes' challenge? Ben Foakes was the next man in, so he went up to McCullum and said, 'Baz, if we lose another wicket, are we blocking for the draw, do we shut it down?' Before answering, McCullum asked the team to gather around him. 'I don't believe in draws, we are going to win this game,' said the man who once battled for 775 minutes to help New Zealand get a draw against India. He turned to Anderson, England's No. 11, and said, 'Jimmy, if you get in, try to hit every ball for four.' Jimmy didn't need to. Bairstow (136, 92b), Stokes (75 n.o., 70b) and Foakes (12 n.o., 15b) took England home in just 50 overs. Dazzling home and away Though the Englishmen lost the first Test against South Africa later that summer, they won the following two to clinch the series. Bazball dazzled in its first away series, too. England won all three Tests in Pakistan, the highlight being the 74-run victory in the first Test at Rawalpindi after making 657 in the first innings in just 101 overs. On England's next tour of the subcontinent, an even more important victory was recorded, against India at Hyderabad in 2024. Ollie Pope, who made a brilliant 196 in the third innings, showed how the reverse sweep could be more useful than the defensive blade against India's feared spin attack. But, Jasprit Bumrah's reverse swing brought India right back into the series with a win in the second Test at Visakhapatnam. The host went on to claim the five-match series 4-1 to deal Bazball its biggest blow. ALSO READ | Varun Chakaravarthy: You can never achieve perfection but that's the only thing that will keep you running The next tour to Asia too would end in disappointment for England, losing to Pakistan 1-2. The opening Test last October witnessed some classic Bazball, though. In their only innings, the Englishmen amassed 823 for seven (declared) at a run-rate of 5.48 to post an innings win. But, Pakistan decided to bet heavily on spinners with tracks that assisted them (at the insistence of new selector Aaqib Javed), and used huge industrial fans to dry the pitch at Multan, where the first Test was also played. The home side won the second Test and then the third, at Rawalpindi, where wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan sledged England's triple-centurion from the first Test, Harry Brook, 'This is Aaqib-ball now.' It was evident: Bazball would struggle on turners. The all-out aggressive approach cannot work all the time. And you don't really need to declare your innings on the first day of the Test itself. There are other, less risky, ways to win, too. (At Birmingham in 2023, England declared against Australia on the opening day and went on to lose by two wickets). But, the fact remains that Bazball has served England well over the last three years (63.9% win-rate). Only Australia (64.5%) has a better record in Tests in that period. And over time, McCullum and Stokes have fine-tuned their style. They have shown they can rein in aggression, or recklessness, a bit when the situation demands it. They may have to do more of that if they want to beat India at home and then Australia in Australia, which cannot be easy, against one of the most potent Test attacks of all time. What the future holds Bazball has made an impact. It will be interesting to see how it fares once Stokes and McCullum leave the stage. Bazball has worked because of the way the duo has functioned as coach and captain. 'Baz and Stokesy are the same people,' Broad said. There probably hasn't been a pair like that in cricket. ALSO READ | M.S. Dhoni in ICC Hall of Fame: A moment to cherish for an extraordinary leader of men The likes of Jamie Smith — his Bazball batting has kept Foakes, described by Adam Gilchrist as the best wicketkeeper to spin he has seen, out of the team — and Jacob Bethell could provide a sense of continuity, yes. And of course, Brook is still pretty young. Bazball has made Test cricket more interesting, surely. And England definitely needed that after losing its four previous series. Bazball needn't — and shouldn't — be the only way to play Test cricket, however. McCullum may not enjoy it much, but the draw salvaged from the brink of defeat is one of the many things that make Test cricket the greatest theatre in sport.
The Guardian
10-06-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Incongruity of World Test Championship final fails to dampen Australian excitement
In Australia it is winter, and it is footy season. AFL, NRL, the works. The autumn was passing strange, with unnervingly high temperatures and Gold Coast Suns in the top four. But now it is June, and feeling more as it should, with nights in the southern half of the continent dipping deep into single degrees. The Raiders must be breathing out steam on Canberra mornings, half remembering dreams of ending a premiership wait. And strangely positioned among all this, the Australian Test team is getting ready to play cricket. Australian winter tours happen, but outside the occasional Asian or Caribbean jaunt this century, they're confined to quadrennial visits to England. Two years ago, the first time Australia qualified for a World Test Championship final, that match came directly before an Ashes series. As well as turning the supposed culmination into an incongruous entree, it also made the WTC final melt into the Ashes summer. This time, things are different. England will shortly start another five-Test series with India, but neither side is involved in the WTC. So it will be England the cricket board rather than England the cricket team that hosts Australia and South Africa, whose struggle for the right to be called world champions will be based not on a series but a single match. An imperfect mechanism, but it means that this time around, in an Australian consciousness, that match will stand alone. So it is that among the footy news of dawn beach sessions and tribunal verdicts, Pat Cummins is back at Lord's this week after half the time that an Ashes cycle would otherwise dictate, wearing the green cap and blazer while wandering about the pavilion doing moody photo shoots as one half of an exercise in height contrast with South Africa's Temba Bavuma. Their squads run drills on the main turf, the pleasantness of white knitted jumpers covering the ugliness of synthetic training kit. The timing may be incongruous, but that classic visual cue says it's time for a Test. The ICC has gone full-court press on promotion, making sure these images are distributed far and wide. Their Hall of Fame announcement was what the marketing types might call something like a brand crossover activation, with four of the seven inductees reflecting the upcoming contest: for South Africa, batting contemporaries Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla; for Australia, their rival Matthew Hayden, along with New Zealand player but current Australia assistant coach Daniel Vettori. Approaching the third WTC final, the concept of a Test format decider is starting to cut through. Press access is oversubscribed, largely by English publications for a neutral contest. Public tickets are sold out. It will be a different crowd to the usual. London has plenty of Australians and South Africans, and the latter are starving for global tournament success in any form, so expect both camps to turn out in numbers. After the unhinged reaction that Lord's gave Australia in 2023, in a spontaneous bout of moralising from the Long Room to the back rows, it might make for a nicer atmosphere to have the England supporter base diluted. It will still be plenty aggressive on the field. Kagiso Rabada's preparatory outing against Zimbabwe was vicious, the ball rising from a length at serious pace again and again. Marco Jansen swings it left-arm from a release point about 10ft off the ground. Keshav Maharaj is a vastly experienced left-arm spinner who the Australians in their World Cup semi-final treated with a respect bordering on hypnosis. The fourth link in that bowling chain could be several options, but none that maintains the proven quality of the other three. The Australians have an edge there, with Cummins likely to join Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood yet again in a fully rounded attack. When Scott Boland took 10 Indian wickets in the Sydney Test last January, he looked the man, but Hazlewood recovered from injury to dominate a title-winning IPL season. Boland has been wildly successful in scant opportunities, but Hazlewood has 279 Test wickets, and last year took them at 13 runs apiece. Current Australian selection tends towards stability, so career-length pedigree should pip one of the best understudies the game has seen. Sign up to The Spin Subscribe to our cricket newsletter for our writers' thoughts on the biggest stories and a review of the week's action after newsletter promotion Likewise, the other selection questions feel all but decided. Sam Konstas is unlikely to be thrown in at Lord's as he was at the MCG, with Marnus Labuschagne the seasoned candidate to open instead. That means Cameron Green takes Labuschagne's slot at No 3, after a run-filled county cricket stint. With Green unable to be a fifth bowler due to injury, Beau Webster stays at six. Though if selectors trust the fitness of their four main bowlers, Josh Inglis should be considered for that spot, not just because of his recent century on debut in Sri Lanka, but his ability to problem-solve so many batting situations. Whatever the configuration, the players are excited, the press attentive, and the audience has committed. The Test decider is vindicated further each time it is played. It may be a strange time of year for an Antipodean, and a strange tournament structure for anybody involved. But the important thing now is the game: jumpers on, caps fitted, seats taken, rain cursed, sunshine welcomed. Channel changed. The footy can wait a week.
