The trophy has been played for in Tests between the sides since 1963 but it will be kept on display in the MCC Museum at Lord's following the conclusion of the current campaign
The Wisden Trophy will be retired after the ongoing series between England and West Indies and a new piece of silverware introduced in its place.
The trophy has been played for in Tests between the sides since 1963 but it will be kept on display in the MCC Museum at Lord's following the conclusion of the current campaign, which is tied at 1-1 with a game to play.
Instead, the teams will now compete for the Richards-Botham Trophy, commemorating the achievements of two legends of the game - Sir Vivian Richards and Sir Ian Botham.
Richards said: “This is a huge honour for my good friend Ian and myself. I am delighted to know that the game that I have shown my love for since a little boy is naming such a prestigious award in my recognition of what I managed to achieve as a cricketer. When I had the opportunity to go to England and represent Somerset, one of the first persons I met was Ian Botham, who would later become of one my best friends. We are friends for life.
NOW READ: Who will England pick from bowling arsenal for third Test? Our writers play selector
“To have this trophy – West Indies vs England – named in honour of our work on the cricket field is great. What I think is also remarkable is that it says a lot about our relationship off the field as well. We were competitors on the field, but we showed we were brothers off the field. I’m proud to have my name on one side of the trophy with him on the other side.”
Botham said: “Viv was the finest batsman I ever played against. He’s a great friend but we’ve always been competitive, not least when we were on the cricket field, and there was no one else’s wicket I would treasure more.
“Playing the West Indies was always one of the toughest tests in cricket, and it’s an honour for this trophy to bear our names. I hope future series will be just as exciting as the one we’ve all been enjoying this summer.”
West Indies currently hold the Wisden Trophy, having won the most recent completed series between the sides, in the Caribbean in January 2019.
Subscribe to The Cricketer for exclusive content every day: The inside track on everything England - including leading coverage of England in India, award-winning analysis, breaking news and interviews and the only place for in-depth county coverage all year round. Plus: An ad-free app experience at your fingertips. Subscribe to thecricketer.com today for just £1.
Posted by Andrew on 25/07/2020 at 21:39
What did Botham do against the West Indies again?
Posted by Stuart Ferguson on 23/07/2020 at 23:30
Why? No reason has been given. Why not replace the Ashes with the Bradman - Hutton Trophy? Why have these two particular great players been chosen when there are so many others that the Trophy could be named such as Sobers, Lloyd and Holding to name but a few? Can the rationale for this decision be explained?