Farokh Engineer Honoured at Old Trafford in Tribute to 1970s Cricket Glory
It’s a truly special moment in cricket history as Old Trafford is set to pay tribute to two of its most cherished legends — Farokh Engineer and Sir Clive Lloyd. During the fourth Test between England and India, parts of Lancashire's iconic Old Trafford ground will be named after these two giants of the game. It’s a celebration not just of individual brilliance, but of an era when Lancashire ruled the one-day cricket world with flair, courage, and unmatched spirit.
Farokh Engineer — the flamboyant Indian wicketkeeper-batsman — was a trailblazer. Joining Lancashire in 1968, he quickly became a household name in Manchester. For nearly a decade, Engineer lit up the county circuit with both his batting brilliance and unmatched agility behind the stumps. His stats are impressive: 5,942 runs, 429 catches, and 35 stumpings across 175 matches. But numbers barely tell the story. What truly set him apart was his charisma, his fearless strokeplay, and the unmistakable joy he brought to the field.
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Clive Lloyd, meanwhile, joined Lancashire around the same period and stayed for two decades. He became synonymous with the Red Rose county. A future World Cup-winning West Indies captain, Lloyd scored 12,764 runs in 219 matches, including 30 centuries — a record that firmly etched his name in English domestic cricket history.
The decision to honour these legends by naming the upper and lower tiers of the B Stand after them is both fitting and overdue. Lloyd and Engineer were the heart of Lancashire’s golden era, when the team won three consecutive Gillette Cup titles and two Sunday League trophies. Fans brought football-style chants to the cricket grounds, and Old Trafford buzzed with excitement whenever either man took the field.
Engineer, now 87, reflected on those glory days with emotion: “People would come for miles to see us play. From the dressing room, we could see the trains arriving, packed with fans. The buzz was electric.” He also recalled how their lockers were always overflowing with autograph requests and party invites — a testament to their fame and influence.
Interestingly, despite all his contributions, Engineer does not yet have a stand named after him in Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium — but Lancashire has now corrected that oversight. It’s symbolic that the recognition comes during a Test match between England and India, uniting his legacy from both sides of the world.
In an age where sporting legacies are sometimes overshadowed by headlines, this gesture by Lancashire is a powerful reminder of how much one era — and two unforgettable players — shaped the soul of county cricket.
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