On Wednesday (July 23), the former cricketers Farokh Engineer and Clive Lloyd were honored by dedicating a stand after their names at Old Trafford in Manchester.

Farokh Engineer became the first Indian cricketer to have a stand named after him in England, who participated in County cricket representing Lancashire for almost a decade and played a pivotal role in the club winning the championship titles multiple times.

At the same time, the 87-year-old feels disappointed that his nation did not acknowledge his achievements.

A Stand Named After Engineer and Lloyd at Old Trafford

Ahead of the toss session in the fourth test, the B Stand at Old Trafford— placed between the Player and Media Centre and the Hilton hotel extension was officially named as the Farokh Engineer and Sir Clive Lloyd Stand.

Both the legendary cricketers were present at the venue when the stand was unveiled to praise their remarkable efforts for the Lancashire Cricket Club.

‘My Efforts Not Recognized Where I Played The Most’: Farokh Engineer

Having played a majority of his cricket matches in Bombay (now known as Mumbai), mainly at the Brabourne Stadium, Farokh voiced his regret, saying:

“Yes! It is a proud moment for me as well as for India. It was during the morning when I was discussing it with Clive.  So far, none of the Indian cricketers have had a stand named after them in any stadium in England, particularly Sachin Tendulkar, who truly deserves this honor. So, this is indeed a special one for me.

It was surprising, as we never expected something like this to honor us. I thank God for being so grateful. This compensates for not receiving honor in my nation.

At the same time, it is disappointing that my achievements are not honored where I played most of the matches in my cricket career,” the former wicketkeeper batter said.

Farokh Engineer’s Contributions to Lancashire Cricket Club

From 1968 to 1976, Engineer was part of the Lancashire cricket club. Out of 175 matches, he added 5,942 runs along with 429 catches and 35 stumpings to his name. His entry turned around the fortunes for the club by not only ending the 15-year title drought but also lifting the Gillette Cup on four occasions from 1970 to 1975.

Farokh Shares His Memories with Lancashire

Furthermore, the Engineer shared his heartfelt flashbacks while playing for Lancashire. One such fond memory is when the former team captain, Jack Bond, nicknamed him ‘Butlin’ for taking diving catches ahead of the first slip fielder.

Here is what Farokh had to reveal about his memorable experiences representing the club:

“Certainly! Back in 1966, I joined Lancashire. And one of the memorable opportunities for me was to perform the wicketkeeping duties for Brian Statham, who was one of the top-quality bowlers in the world at that time. It was one of the best experiences, as he bowled with higher accuracy at a rapid pace, around 90 to 100 miles an hour. Moreover, we didn’t have so many speed bowlers at that time.

Most importantly, we played for honor to represent our country during our era rather than playing for money. Earlier, I received offers from Lancashire, Somerset, Hampshire, and Worcestershire to play for county cricket. But I chose Lancashire, and I’m satisfied with my decision. Especially, the warm welcome I received from everyone made it feel like a second home for me.

There were so many memorable matches, but the Gillette Cup semi-final against Gloucestershire remains close to my heart. It was such a hard-fought match at Old Trafford that it was played till midnight. I was lucky to play alongside the star players of those times like Prctor, Mortimore, Lever, Pilling, and several others. Overall, those were the golden days of the county championship,” Farokh added. 

‘Best Way to Honor Clive, and Farokh’: Lancashire Cricket Chairman

Andy Anson— the Chairman of the Lancashire Cricket Club said that this was the best method to honor both Clive and Farokh:

“Certainly! We were searching for better ways to respect our past, and this was the most appropriate method for both Sir Clive Lloyd and Farokh Engineer to have a stand named after them.

These two legends were my favorite cricket heroes during my childhood days when I grew up watching the Club matches. Also, I remember how these two performed when I first travelled to Old Trafford back in 1971. There are incredible memories of Clive and Farokh, who were indeed the core members of a highly successful Lancashire club in the 1970s,” Anson said.

Conclusion

While Farokh Engineer was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award granted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), it is surprising that none of the stands were named after him in the stadiums in his country.

Particularly, at his homeground, Wankhede Stadium, the stands were recently inaugurated after Indian captain Rohit Sharma and late Ajit Wadekar, but Farokh’s name was again sidelined.

However, the heartwarming gesture by the Lancashire cricket club to honor Farokh and Lloyd promises to motivate the forthcoming generations of cricketers at Old Trafford.