An emotional Saif Ali Khan talks about being invited by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in London for last night’s tribute dinner honouring his late father Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi

Upala KBR (BOMBAY TIMES; June 16, 2012)

 

June 15 was a very special moment for the entire Pataudi family — Sharmila Tagore, Saif Ali Khan, and sisters Soha and Saba. A special sit-down dinner was hosted yesterday to honour the late Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) — home to the prestigious Lord’s Cricket Ground — at its historic Long Room in London.

Saif, who is currently shooting in Istanbul for Race 2, took special permission for a day off to fly to London for the event. Apart from his family, his fiancée Kareena Kapoor too attended the dinner. He returns to Istanbul today. The dinner will be followed by cricket matches at Oxford and Winchester on June 22 and 23.

In 2007, the MCC had commissioned a trophy for a Test series between India and England, named the Pataudi Trophy, in honour of Tiger’s father, the 8th Nawab Iftikar Ali Khan Pataudi.

Speaking to BT from London, Saif informs, “The relationship between the MCC and the Nawabs of Pataudi goes back to the time when my grandfather had worn the MCC colours on England’s tour of Australia in 1932-33. Later, my father captained India at Lord’s in 1967. It was a huge honour for us to be present at the tribute dinner at the Long Room. It’s considered to be the most revered room in the cricket world, and my mother More >