Farokh Engineer was on Wednesday bestowed with a rare honour of having a stand named after an Indian cricketer in an overseas ground — the storied Old Trafford in Manchester.
The B Stand, located in between the Player and Media Centre and the extension of the Hilton hotel at Old Trafford, was formally named as the Sir Clive Lloyd and Farokh Engineer Stand before the toss of the fourth Test.
Both Engineer and legendary West Indies captain Lloyd were in attendance as the stand was unveiled in recognition of their immense contribution to the Lancashire Cricket Club.
“It is a proud moment not only for me but for India as well. Both Clive and I were talking about it in the morning. We never thought something like this would be done in our honour. God is Great. This makes up for not receiving recognition in my own country,” Engineer said.
Engineer, 87, played the majority of his cricket in Bombay, particularly at the Brabourne Stadium.
“It is a shame that my achievements are not recognised where I played most of my cricket,” he said.
However, Engineer was thankful to the BCCI for presenting him the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024.
Lloyd, a two-time World Cup winning captain with West Indies, made 219 appearances in first-class cricket for Lancashire between 1968 and 1986. He scored 12,764 runs and claimed 55 wickets.
In List A cricket for the Red Rose, Lloyd scored 8,522 runs and added 60 wickets.
India international Engineer was Lancashire’s wicketkeeper, playing 175 matches for the county from 1968 to 1976, scoring 5,942 runs, holding 429 catches and claiming 35 stumpings.
When Lloyd and Engineer made their Lancashire debuts, the Club had not won a major honour since 1950, but eight years later, having won the Gillette Cup four times in 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1975.