BCCI says India, England will play for Anthony De Mello trophy

Mumbai:  The Board of Control for Cricket in India clarified on Tuesday that the India-England series will be played for the Anthony De Mello trophy. This after Sharmila Tagore, wife of Late Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, wrote to BCCI chief asking him to make 'Pataudi Trophy' (India-England series) official.

In a statement released by BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale, it was explained that the trophy was instituted in 1951 to honour de Mello who was the Board's first secretary.

The release further said that 'in 2007, when MCC proposed the institution of Pataudi Trophy for England - India series, the BCCI had clarified that the trophy is already named after Anthony De Mello.'

Sharmila Tagore had earlier written to N Srinivasan saying that despite assurances of making the Pataudi Trophy official, no progress had been made on the matter for over a year. "As you are aware, next week India-England test series begins. I am given to understand ECB has already written to BCCI requesting to make the trophy official. You will recall my previous mail to you where I had mentioned our disappointment at the close of the test series at the Oval and had urged you to take the matter forward and formalise the trophy." ( Read full story here)