Legendary India Cricketer Set to Have a Stand Named After Him at Old Trafford

Legendary India wicketkeeper-batter Farokh Engineer will soon receive a great honour in England as a stand at Old Trafford in Manchester will be named after him. West Indies legend Clive Lloyd will also be honoured in the similar way.

This is a special gesture from the Lancashire cricket team. Both Engineer and Lloyd played for Lancashire and made huge contributions to the club.
According to a report by PTI, the ceremony to name the stand may take place on July 23. That is the first day of the fourth Test between India and England. England lead the five-match series 2-1. A source told PTI, “It is a fitting honour for both legends of the club.”

Farokh Engineer played for Lancashire for almost 10 years. Between 1968 and 1976, he played 175 matches for the club. He scored 5,942 runs. He also took 429 catches and made 35 stumpings. The news of Farokh Engineer stand at Old Trafford is a matter of pride for Indian cricket.

Farokh Engineer Stand at Old Trafford

Engineer was born in Mumbai and was a popular figure at Lancashire. When he joined the team, Lancashire had not won a major title for more than 15 years. But things changed quickly. With Engineer in the side, Lancashire won the Gillette Cup four times between 1970 and 1975. The Gillette Cup was a famous one-day knockout tournament. It ran from 1963 to 1980. Later, it was called the Friends Provident Cup.

Clive Lloyd also became a legend at Lancashire. The West Indies great played for the club for 20 years. He arrived in the early 1970s as an overseas player. Lloyd helped turn the club’s fortunes around. He later became a two-time World Cup-winning captain for West Indies. Now, both Engineer and Lloyd will be immortalised in Lancashire history. They will have their names on stands at the iconic Old Trafford.

Farokh Engineer Recalls his Playing Days at Old Trafford

Surprisingly, Engineer does not have a stand named after him at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. That is where he played most of his domestic cricket in India. However, Farokh Engineer Old Trafford stand will give him a huge pride for his glorious career. The wicketkeeper-batter once shared his memories of playing at Old Trafford on the Lancashire website. “They were incredible times and Old Trafford was a marvellous place to be. People would come for miles to see us play,” he said.

He also described the excitement on match days. “From the Old Trafford dressing room, we could see Warwick Road railway station, and before the game, we would see packed trains emptying their passengers on the platform. We could hear the chanting and the excited chatter and laughter,” he added.

Engineer also recalled how popular the team was in those days. “It was amazing, our lockers would be stuffed full of requests for autographs and invitations to parties. Everyone in England was talking about that great team, names like Clive Lloyd, Harry Pilling, Peter Lever and Ken Shuttleworth,” he said.

Engineer played professional cricket for 18 years. He played a key role for both India and Lancashire and his batting and excellent wicketkeeping made him a fan favourite. Now, decades later, Lancashire is giving both him and Lloyd a tribute they truly deserve. Farokh Engineer India career was nothing short of legendary as well. The 87-year-old played 46 Tests for India and scored 2611 runs at an average of 31.