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This is the story of that Indian wicketkeeper, who perhaps got more love in England than in his own country. His passion for sports was such that even Queen Elizabeth was his admirer. Yes, we are talking about Farooq Engineer.

Farooq Engineer was born in a Parsi family of the country’s financial capital Mumbai. His father Maneksha was a doctor by profession and mother Mini was a housewife. His early education was from ‘Don Bosco High School’ in Matunga. It is said that Farooq had inherited his love for sports from his father, who himself was an excellent tennis player.

When I got my first catch

In childhood, Farooq’s dream was to become a pilot, but due to his mother’s fear and refusal, he gave up this intention. He used to be quite naughty in his childhood. An interesting story of his alertness is from his school days when when he was caught talking in class, the teacher angrily threw a duster at him and hit him. Without any fear, Farokh caught the duster in the air with such speed that everyone sitting in the class was stunned. Perhaps this was the first glimpse of his wicketkeeping!

When ‘Dennis Compton’ gave bubblegum

Farooq’s elder brother took him to Mumbai’s famous ‘Brabourne Stadium’ for the first time. There he saw the great cricketer Dennis Compton fielding on the field and started shouting with joy. Compton lovingly gave him one of his bubblegums, Farrukh kept that gum with him for years, cherishing it like a trophy. Seeing his passion for sports, his father enrolled him in ‘Dadar Parsi Colony Sports Club’, where he learned the intricacies of cricket.

Career beginnings and county journey

Farooq made his first-class cricket debut in December 1958 for Mumbai University against West Indies. However, he could not do anything special in his first match. Could score zero (duck) in the first innings and only 29 runs in the second.

Queen Elizabeth and Farooq Engineer

In the 1970s, when Farooq Engineer was playing county cricket for Lancashire in England, he was one of the most popular cricketers there. During a match at Lord’s, Queen Elizabeth came to watch the game.

It is said that Rani smilingly asked Farooq Engineer why he did not remove his beard. The engineer wittily replied, ‘If I remove my beard, how will people recognize me?’ The queen laughed at his answer. Because of his presence of mind, this story became quite famous.

Why did the people of England like Farooq Engineer so much?

The people of England respected Farooq Engineer a lot because of his excellent batting, excellent wicket-keeping and friendly nature. He played many memorable innings for Lancashire and led the team to many important victories. His aggressive style and presence of mind on the field won the hearts of the audience. This is the reason why in England he was considered not just as an Indian cricketer but also as one of the most favorite players among cricket fans.

cricket career statistics

Farooq Engineer played many memorable innings for the Indian team. His international statistics are as follows:

Test Career: In 87 innings of 46 Test matches, he scored 2,611 runs at an average of 31.08, which included 2 centuries and 16 half-centuries.

ODI Career: He played a total of 5 ODI matches for India. Scored 114 runs in 4 innings at an excellent average of 38.0, which included 1 half-century.

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