View source for Farokh Engineer

{{Short description|Indian cricketer (born 1938)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox cricketer
|               name = Farokh Engineer
|           fullname = Farokh Maneksha Engineer
|         birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1938|2|25|df=yes}}
|        birth_place = [[Bombay]], [[Bombay Province]], [[British India]]
|            batting = Right-handed
|               role = [[Wicket-keeper-batsman]]

|      international = true
|  internationalspan = 1961–1975
|            country = India

|      testdebutdate = 1 December
|      testdebutyear = 1961
|   testdebutagainst = England
|            testcap = 102
|       lasttestdate = 23 January
|       lasttestyear = 1975
|    lasttestagainst = West Indies
|       odidebutdate = 13 July
|       odidebutyear = 1974
|    odidebutagainst = England
|             odicap = 3
|        lastodidate = 14 June
|        lastodiyear = 1975
|     lastodiagainst = New Zealand

|              club1 = [[Bombay cricket team|Bombay]]
|              year1 = {{nowrap|1959/60–1974/75}}
|              club2 = [[West Zone cricket team|West Zone]]
|              year2 = {{nowrap|1961/62–1974/75}}
|              club3 = [[Lancashire County Cricket Club|Lancashire]]
|              year3 = {{nowrap|1968–1976}}

|            columns = 4
|     hidedeliveries = true

|            column1 = [[Test cricket|Test]]
|            column2 = [[One Day International|ODI]]
|            column3 = [[First-class cricket|FC]]
|            column4 = [[List A cricket|LA]]
|           matches1 = 46
|           matches2 = 5
|           matches3 = 335
|           matches4 = 160

|              runs1 = 2,611
|              runs2 = 114
|              runs3 = 13,436
|              runs4 = 3,008
|         top score1 = 121
|         top score2 = 54[[not out|*]]
|         top score3 = 192
|         top score4 = 93
|          100s/50s1 = 2/16
|          100s/50s2 = 0/1
|          100s/50s3 = 13/69
|          100s/50s4 = 0/12
|           bat avg1 = 31.08
|           bat avg2 = 38.00
|           bat avg3 = 29.52
|           bat avg4 = 23.31

| catches/stumpings1 = 66/16
| catches/stumpings2 = 3/1
| catches/stumpings3 = 704/120
| catches/stumpings4 = 159/31

|               date = 15 December
|               year = 2023
|             source = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/1/1160/1160.html CricketArchive {{subscription required}}

|             module = {{Infobox person
|              embed = yes
|          signature = Farokh Autograph.jpg}}
}}
'''Farokh Maneksha Engineer''' {{audio|Farokh_Engineer.ogg|pronunciation}} (born 25 February 1938) is an Indian former [[cricket]]er. He was a [[wicket-keeper-batsman]], usually an [[opening batsman]], who represented [[India national cricket team|India]] in 46 [[Test cricket|Test matches]] from 1961 to 1975. In [[first-class cricket]], he played for [[Bombay cricket team|Bombay]] from 1959/60 to 1974/75, for [[West Zone cricket team|West Zone]] from 1961/62 to 1974/75, and for [[Lancashire County Cricket Club]] from 1968 to 1976. He was the first-choice wicket-keeper for the [[World XI (cricket)|Rest of the World team]] which toured [[Rest of the World cricket team in England in 1970|England in 1970]] and [[Rest of the World cricket team in Australia in 1971–72|Australia in 1971–72]].

Engineer is the last male member of the [[Parsi]] community to have played for India,<ref name="cmon">{{cite web |url=http://www.thecricketmonthly.com/story/573954/-i-was-born-to-be-a-one-day-player |last=Chaudhry |first=Ijaz |title=I was born to be a one-day player |work=Cricket Monthly |date=26 July 2012}}</ref> although [[Arzan Nagwaswalla]] was selected for the international squad in 2021.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/in-pictures-parsi-cricketers-who-have-played-for-india/article34519324.ece |title=In pictures. Parsi cricketers who have played for India. |work=The Hindu |date=9 May 2021}}</ref>

==Early life==
===Education and beginning of cricket career===
Engineer was born 25 February 1938 into a [[Parsis|Parsi]] family in [[Bombay]].<ref name="znet">{{cite web|url=https://zoroastrians.net/2016/02/29/18-facts-about-farokh-engineer/|title=18 facts about Farokh Engineer|date=29 February 2016|website=Zoroastrians.net}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cricketcountry.com/criclife/10-parsis-who-played-test-cricket-for-india-505478 |author=Shiamak Unwalla |title=12 Parsis who played Test cricket for India |publisher=Cricket Country |date=30 July 2015}}</ref> His father Manecksha was a doctor by profession, and his mother, Minnie was a housewife. Engineer studied at the [[Don Bosco High School, Matunga|Don Bosco High School]] in [[Matunga]] and later at [[Ramniranjan Anandilal Podar College of Commerce and Economics|Podar College]], also in Matunga.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://donboscomatunga.com/alumni/notable-alumni/ |title=Notable Alumni. Don Bosco High School | publisher=Don Bosco High School, Matunga |access-date=15 December 2023}}</ref> Engineer became a student at the [[University of Bombay]] and, in 1958/59, played cricket for both their team and the [[Indian Universities cricket team|Indian Universities team]]. He joined [[Bombay cricket team|Bombay]] in 1959, though he continued to play for the Universities until 1961/62.<ref>[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/1/1160/all_teams.html Teams Farokh Engineer has played for]. CricketArchive. Retrieved 15 December 2023. {{subscription required}}</ref>

During his childhood, Engineer's first ambition was to be a [[pilot]].<ref name="cmon"/> However, he developed a love for sports from his father who played [[tennis]] and was himself a club cricketer. Farokh's older brother, Darius, was also a good club cricketer. He once took Farokh to the East Stand of the [[Brabourne Stadium]], where they saw [[Denis Compton]] fielding. Farokh called to Compton who gave him a piece of chewing gum which he saved as his prized possession for many years.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://parsi-times.com/2016/06/a-few-good-men-farokh-engineer/ |last=Surti |first=Binaisha |title=A Few Good Men... Farokh Engineer |work=Parsi Times |date=6 June 2016}}</ref> His father enrolled him in Dadar Parsi Colony Sporting Club where he learned the nuances of the game from the seniors and later became a regular member of the team.<ref name="znet"/>

==Test career==
'''NOTE:''' ''All content in this section was moved to workspace because of [[WP:RS|sourcing]] and [[WP:POV|POV]] issues. A rewrite is in progress''.

Engineer played in 46 [[Test cricket|Test matches]] for [[India national cricket team|India]] from 1961/62 to 1974/75. He also played in five [[One Day International|ODI]]s, all in 1974/75. He scored 2,611 runs in Tests, including two centuries with a highest score of 121. He took 66 [[caught|catches]] and completed 16 [[stumped|stumpings]].<ref>[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/1/1160/1160.html Farokh Engineer]. CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 December 2023. {{subscription required}}</ref>

===Debut===
Engineer made his Test debut on 1 December 1961 when India played [[England cricket team|England]] at the [[Green Park Stadium|Modi Stadium]] in [[Kanpur]]. It was the second Test of the [[English cricket team in India, Pakistan and Ceylon in 1961–62|1961/62 series]]. Engineer replaced [[Budhi Kunderan]] as wicket-keeper in the Indian team, and these two players competed for the role until Kunderan's retirement in 1967.<ref name="IE612">[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/25/25240.html India v England 1961, Second Test]. CricketArchive. Retrieved 31 January 2024. {{subscription required}}</ref> The first Test, played three weeks earlier, had been [[draw (cricket)|drawn]].<ref>[https://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/25/25206.html India v England 1961, First Test]. CricketArchive. Retrieved 31 January 2024. {{subscription required}}</ref> India, [[captain (cricket)|captained]] by [[Nari Contractor]], won the toss at Kanpur and batted first. Engineer was ninth man in at 414/7 and joined [[Polly Umrigar]]. They added 53 for the eighth wicket until Engineer was stumped by [[John Murray (cricketer, born 1935)|John Murray]] for 33. Contractor [[declared]] as soon as the wicket fell with India on 467/8 and Umrigar 147 [[not out]]. Engineer's first dismissal as a Test wicket-keeper was England opener [[Peter Richardson (cricketer)|Peter Richardson]], whom he caught off [[Subhash Gupte]] for 22. Engineer later caught [[David Allen (cricketer)|David Allen]] off [[Chandu Borde]]. England were [[all out (cricket)|all out]] for 244 and Contractor enforced the [[follow-on]]. With well over a day's play remaining, India hoped to dismiss England again and win the match, but England recovered well to score 497/5 with centuries by [[Geoff Pullar]], [[Ken Barrington]], and their captain [[Ted Dexter]]. The match ended in a draw.<ref name="IE612"/>

==Lancashire==
{{Quote box |quote="He finds both cricket and life fun; he laughs easily and his jokes are often very funny but he can be grave. His appeals are as loud as anyone's yet off the field he is quietly spoken. As a batsman or wicketkeeper he is aggressive, yet he is a man of consideration and courtesy. There has always been a quality of generosity about his cricket and his way of life". |source=''Farokh – The Cricketing Cavalier'' by [[John Arlott]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.max-books.co.uk/home/farokh-cricketing-cavalier.html |title=Farokh – The Cricketing Cavalier |publisher=MaxBooks |date=27 August 2021}}</ref> |width=35% |align=right}}

In 1968, when English cricket allowed its [[county cricket|county clubs]] to sign overseas players, Engineer joined [[Lancashire County Cricket Club|Lancashire]] alongside West Indies batsman [[Clive Lloyd]]. He spent nine seasons there, until he retired in 1976.<ref name="CAP">[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/1/1160/1160.html Farokh Engineer]. CricketArchive. Retrieved 15 December 2023. {{subscription required}}</ref> Lancashire had not won a major honour since 1950 but, while Engineer and Lloyd played for them, they became a highly successful [[limited overs cricket|limited overs team]], winning the [[Gillette Cup (England)|Gillette Cup]] four times and the [[John Player League]] twice.<ref name="znet"/>

Engineer was playing for Lancashire in 1970 when he was selected as wicket-keeper for the [[Rest of the World cricket team in England in 1970|Rest of the World]] team, captained by [[Garfield Sobers]], which played five unofficial Tests against England that summer. Engineer also played for the [[Rest of the World cricket team in Australia in 1971–72]].<ref name="znet"/> He enjoyed life in [[Manchester]] and, having married a local lady, decided to settle there after his retirement from playing.<ref name="znet"/> Lancashire granted him a testimonial in 1976, his final season, which raised £26,519.<ref name="CAP"/>

He became a vice-president of the club in later years.<ref name="znet"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rediff.com/cricket/report/eng-chat/20060510.htm |title=Dhoni reminds me of myself |work=Rediff on the Net |date=10 May 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://circleofcricket.com/category/Latest_news/8021/A-glimpse-of-Farokh-Engineers-journey-from-England-to-India |title=A glimpse of Farokh Engineer's journey from England to India |work=Circle Of Cricket |date=7 June 2017}}</ref> On 24 January 2024, at a Naman Awards ceremony, the BCCI announced that the Colonel [[C. K. Nayudu]] Lifetime Achievement Award was bestowed on both Engineer and Ravi Shastri.<ref>[https://www.bcci.tv/articles/2024/news/55556090/farokh-engineer-and-ravi-shastri-bestowed-with-col-c-k-nayudu-lifetime-achievement-awards-at-naman-awards?platform=domestic&type=men#:~:text=Nayudu%20Lifetime%20Achievement%20Awards%20at%20Naman%20Awards,-24th%20Jan%2C%202024&text=Former%20India%20wicket%2Dkeeper%20Mr,Naman%20Awards%20ceremony%20in%20Hyderabad. Lifetime Achievement Awards]. BCCI. Retrieved 30 January 2024.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bhattacharyya |first=Gautam |date=2024-01-23 |title="Better late than never": Farokh Engineer on BCCI Lifetime Achievement award |url=https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/cricket/better-late-than-never-farokh-engineer-on-bcci-lifetime-achievement-award |access-date=2025-02-01 |website=National Herald |language=en}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
The [[Bollywood]] film ''[[83 (film)|83]]'', released in 2021, was about India's first [[Cricket World Cup]] in 1983. It depicts Engineer, resident in England at the time, as one of the TV commentators. The film features [[Boman Irani]] as Engineer and is directed and produced by [[Kabir Khan (director)|Kabir Khan]] and [[Anurag Kashyap]] respectively.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/entertainment/bollywood/boman-irani-joins-ranveer-singhs-83-clan-as-farokh-engineer |title=Boman Irani joins Ranveer Singh's '83' clan as Farokh Engineer1 |work=Free Press Journal |date=27 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/boman-irani-to-play-farokh-engineer-in-83-119082700361_1.html |title=Boman Irani to play Farokh Engineer in '83' |work=Business Standard India |date=27 August 2019}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{ESPNcricinfo|id=28624}}

{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Sports}}
{{India Squad 1975 Cricket World Cup}}
{{World XI Tour of Australia 1971/72}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Engineer, Farokh}}
[[Category:1938 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian cricketers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian sportsmen]]
[[Category:India Test cricketers]]
[[Category:India One Day International cricketers]]
[[Category:Mumbai cricketers]]
[[Category:West Zone cricketers]]
[[Category:Lancashire cricketers]]
[[Category:Indian expatriate cricketers in England]]
[[Category:Indian Universities cricketers]]
[[Category:Indian Starlets cricketers]]
[[Category:Indian cricket commentators]]
[[Category:Cricketers at the 1975 Cricket World Cup]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in sports]]
[[Category:Cricketers from Mumbai]]
[[Category:Parsi people from Mumbai]]
[[Category:Parsi sportspeople]]
[[Category:Wicket-keepers]]