Farokh Engineer Height, Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography & More 2024

Some Lesser Known Facts About Farokh Engineer

• Farokh Engineer is a former worldwide wicketkeeper batter who performed for India within the Nineteen Sixties and 70s. He was a flamboyant participant widely known as being agile behind the stumps and helped India to win many historic matches.
  

  Farokh Engineer

• Farokh liked sports activities primarily on account of his family the place his father was a membership cricketer and in addition a tennis participant. His brother was a membership cricketer and was the one who impressed Farokh to take up cricket as his sport.
  

  Farokh Engineer childhood picture

• Since childhood, he needed to be a pilot. In reality, he had certified for the personal pilot license at Bombay Flying Club. However, his mom doesn’t need Farokh to be a pilot as she was afraid of dropping her youngster. So, Farokh began concentrating on cricket.
  

  Farokh Engineer youthful days picture

• Once throughout a category, he was seen speaking to his classmate and well-known Bollywood actor Shashi Kapoor. The instructor named Mr. Lobo then threw a duster at him and to everybody’s shock, he caught the duster. This is essentially the most mentioned second of his childhood.

• His brother then took him to the East stand of the Brabourne Stadium (Mumbai) the place he noticed his favourite cricketer Denis Compton standing on the boundary. Farokh known as Compton. Compton gave an immediate reply and threw chewing gum at him. Farokh saved that chewing gum as a prized possession for a few years. His father then enrolled him within the Dadar Parsi Colony Sporting Club the place he realized the fundamentals of cricket.

• He began enjoying for the Dadar Parsi Colony staff. In the primary match, he performed, he was concerned in two leg-side stumpings. From thereon, he turned an everyday member of the facet.
  

  Farokh Engineer wicketkeeper

• Talking about his each day routine, he would attend his college within the morning, and by the afternoon, he went to the Cricket Club of India (CCI) by taking a prepare from Dadar to Churchgate. The prepare was closely crowded and he would journey whereas hanging on the doorways. After changing into a take a look at cricketer, folks began recognizing him and began providing him a seat at any time when he board the prepare.

• He performed his debut first-class recreation in December 1958, for the Combined Universities facet in opposition to the touring West Indies. He was representing Bombay University at the moment. The Caribbeans star-studded with gamers like Wes Hall and Roy Gilchrist was everywhere in the Combined Universities staff. Farokh then scored 0 and 29 in that recreation.

• Farokh Engineer acquired stiff competitors from Budhi Kunderan in home cricket. Both Kunderan and Engineer have been crowd pullers.

• Farokh made his worldwide cricket debut in 1961 in opposition to a troublesome England’s facet which was led by Ted Dexter. Then Chairman of Selectors Lala Amarnath prioritized Engineer over Kunderan primarily on account of his sharp conserving expertise. As Farokh was about to make his worldwide debut, throughout a internet session, he was hit on his proper eye off the bowling of Raj Singh Dungarpur to which, Kunderan was given an opportunity to play his debut recreation in opposition to England and Farokh was omitted of the squad.
  

  Farokh Engineer batting

• In the second take a look at at Kanpur, Farokh was declared match. He performed his first take a look at match the place he scored priceless 33 runs. As a consequence, he was included within the enjoying eleven for the remaining matches.

• In the following tour of the West Indies, Farokh was included because the frontline wicketkeeper. He performed his first three matches earlier than harm pressured him to remain out of the collection for the remaining video games. In the three matches he performed, he confirmed a courageous method in opposition to the lights of Caribbean pacers Wes Hall and Charlie Griffith.

• In 1963, England toured India the place Engineer was once more positioned because the first-choice wicketkeeper. However, his sickness pressured selectors to drop him and embrace Kunderan instead of him. Kunderan scored good 192 runs, because of this, he cemented his spot because the first-hand wicketkeeper. On the opposite hand, Engineer was getting uncared for by the selectors.

•  In 1965, after a very long time Engineer was given an opportunity to play for the nationwide facet in opposition to the New Zealand staff led by John Reid. This time, Engineer opened the inning and scored good runs for his facet. This led Selectors to place him because the full-fledged opening batter.
  

  Farokh Engineer hitting a shot

• Engineer’s greatest inning got here in opposition to the touring West Indian facet in 1967 at Chepauk Stadium, Chennai. Famous author John Cantrell described this inning as his ‘finest hours’ in his ebook named ‘Farokh Engineer: From the Far Pavilion’. He didn’t play within the first two matches which the guests gained. In the third take a look at, comprising of their star tempo bowling duo of Hall and Griffith which have been equally supported by Gary Sobers and Lance Gibbs, Engineer confronted them fearlessly and scored 94 runs earlier than lunch. After lunch, he scored 109 runs which helped India to succeed in a complete of 404 runs. Ultimately, the match led to a draw. This inning helped him to cement his place on the Indian facet for the following 4 years.

• During the interval from 1967 to 1970, Engineer was included within the Indian staff in all of the matches which, India has performed. At that point, he opened the inning in nearly all of the matches besides throughout a brief take a look at collection in opposition to the New Zealand facet in 1969. It was the interval when the spinning quartet led by Bishan Singh Bedi was making an affect in worldwide cricket. Engineer’s presence behind the stumps was a significant issue.

• In the identical yr, he performed a serious function in India’s first-ever victory in New Zealand the place he scored 300 runs at a median of 40.12 within the four-match collection.

• In 1970, he was chosen because the wicketkeeper for the ‘Rest of the World’ staff for a collection in opposition to England and in opposition to Australia in 1971-72. The selectors who chosen the staff have been Don Bradman, Sir Len Hutton, and Sir Frank Worrell.
  

  Rest of the World XI in 1970. Farokh; third from proper standing

• During the tour of the West Indies in 1971, Vijay Merchant then a member of the Indian selectors determined to not embrace Engineer within the facet as he has not performed any home recreation for India.

• He was the best run-scorer for India through the 1972-73 house Test collection when India beat England 2-1.
  

  Farokh Engineer with the bat which he acquired after being the highest scorer in 1972-73 in opposition to England

• His career-best take a look at rating of 121 runs got here in opposition to England at Mumbai the place he was requested to bat on the high of the order but once more. During the tour of England in 1974, he put up a powerful battle within the second and third Test which India misplaced.

• When West Indies toured India in 1974-75, Engineer was advised to captain the facet because the common captain Pataudi was dominated out and vice-captain Sunil Gavaskar was struggling a fracture on his proper thumb. However, on account of some motive, Engineer couldn’t captain the facet, and one of many members of the spin quartet S. Venkataraghavan was despatched in for the toss the following day. Engineer remained calm and targeted on his recreation as a substitute. He contributed handsomely with the bat and helped India to win the primary match by 85 runs. Remembering that point, in an interview, he advised,
  

  “Clive Lloyd was the West Indies captain and we had our blazers on to go out and toss. And suddenly there was a phone call from the board president, who was so politically in demand that he had the chairman of selectors in his pocket. Suddenly, Venkataraghavan comes in with a letter from the board president that he’s replacing Prasanna in the team, who had just taken five wickets, and he’s to captain the team. Nobody could believe the scenario.”

• However, he has captained India in an unofficial take a look at match in opposition to MCC within the 1972-73 collection. MCC was chasing a goal near 200 and was properly poised on 100 for 4 on the finish of day 4. Team captain Ajit Wadekar acquired unwell on the final day and Engineer was advised to guide the facet. Engineer set the aggressive subject and lead India to win that match.

• In the following take a look at at Chennai, Engineer confirmed his acrobatic expertise behind the stumps along with his good catch to dismiss Vivian Richards. He was additionally concerned within the lightning stumping to take away Clive Lloyd. Unfortunately, he couldn’t carry out with the bat which turned out to be his last take a look at collection.

• John Arlott, one of many famend commentators at the moment mentioned about Farokh Engineer that,
  

  “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.”

• Another cricket author, Colin Evans wrote in his ebook named ‘ Farokh, The Cricketing Cavalier’ that,
  

  “I watched many of his performances for Lancashire from 1968 to 1976 and he had the ability to lighten up the gloomiest Manchester day, whether on the pitch or off it. Nowadays, 40 years after his retirement from the game, he is still warmly welcomed all over the world as an ambassador for cricket.”

• In County cricket, he represented Lancashire from 1968 to 1976. When he made his county debut, Lancashire hasn’t gained any main event since 1950. After his profitable outing in opposition to England in 1967, well-known commentator John Arlott needed Engineer to play for Hampshire. At the identical time, Worcestershire and Somerset too needed to signal Engineer in his staff however Engineer went for Lancashire on account of its stunning grounds and nice historical past. Under his tenure, Lancashire gained the Gillette Cup 4 occasions and John Player League twice.
  

  Farokh Engineer interesting in Gillette Cup Final in 1975

  

  Farokh Engineer (proper) holding the Gillette Cup

• After retiring, he determined to remain again in Lancashire and function its vice-president. He was supplied with all of the services like a home and automobile to commute each day. His home was situated in Timperley within the Suburb of South Manchester. His attachment to Manchester was such that Manchester turned his second house.

• He was the fan favourite there. This could be estimated from the truth that as soon as a cop stopped him for rushing on the roads of Manchester however he let him off by saying that,
  

  “My father would kill me if I booked you.”

• A Bollywood film named ’83’ was launched on 24 December 2021 the place Boman Irani has portrayed the function of Farokh Engineer.
  

  Farokh Engineer with Boman Irani

• His surname ‘Engineer’ which is an occupation-related surname got here from his grandfather when he joined the newly constructed engineering trade within the late nineteenth century.

• Farokh was closest to his mom. When his mom was dying, Engineer was enjoying at Jamnagar. As quickly as, he obtained the information of his mom’s deteriorating well being, he rushed to Bombay. His mom was on the mattress and promised Engineer that she’s going to come again as his first daughter. Those final phrases from his mom got here true when Engineer’s first youngster was a daughter. So, he named her on the title of his mom Minie.

• He turned a commentator after retiring from worldwide cricket and largely lined matches for BBC Test Match Special. Once he was doing commentary within the 1983 World Cup last between India and West Indies when his fellow commentator requested him that if India’s Prime Minister Indira Gandhi would declare a vacation if India wins the World Cup. To which, Engineer replied, he had little question she would since she was an avid TMS listener. After these phrases, a message was relayed to the commentary staff from Prime Minister’s Office that she had heard their commentary and had certainly declared a vacation. When Engineer met Indira Gandhi after a number of months, Indira mentioned,
  

  “Thanks for reminding me about the declaration of the public holiday. That will fetch me extra votes in the next election!”

  

  Farokh Engineer giving autographs to his followers