Farokh Engineer being presented the ‘Cricketing Excellence award,’ a cheque for ₹5 lakh, by Epson.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
True to his witty personality, Farokh Engineer entered the Madras Cricket Club (MCC) banquet hall, where he was being felicitated on Friday, with a wisecrack.
Arriving on his mobility scooter, the 87-year-old said to the gathering at large: “Hi, I’m Farokh, and this is my Ferrari!” Excited murmurs turned into hearty laughs.
The mood remained light-hearted for the rest of the evening as Engineer entertained the audience with his humour-laden speech. Former India off-spinner S. Venkataraghavan and Indian tennis great Ramesh Krishnan graced the occasion.
MCC member R. Mohan, Resident Editor (Chennai) – Deccan Chronicle, was the host for the evening. The event was sponsored by Epson and Kochar Homes. Epson presented the ‘Cricketing Excellence award,’ a cheque for ₹5 lakh, to Engineer.
Speaking to journalists after the event, Engineer said that India playing four spinners in ODIs is “wonderful” since it aligns with playing to the team’s “strengths.”
“Horses for courses. We are playing on turning wickets. So, I don’t blame them for taking four spinners. And we’ve got class spinners like Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy.
“Varun is a superb spinner. He reminds me of B. Chandrasekhar a lot. Chandrasekhar, for me, was the greatest Indian spinner, or the greatest Indian bowler there ever was. He was a match-winner,” he added.
Asked if he thought India has had an undue advantage by playing only in Dubai in the ongoing Champions Trophy, he said: “I don’t think that. This is all media talk and just hype. I think they (the critics) are just bad losers.
“Okay, we’ve had a slight advantage. But you shouldn’t be talking and making a mountain out of a molehill. Yes, we’ve had less travelling to do, and we’re playing on the same ground and all that, which is certainly an advantage. But not as huge an advantage as the critics are making it out to be. There is a slight advantage. Let’s not deny that.
“But our team is playing really well. And I don’t think this advantage or disadvantage matters, because we are a very good side capable of beating the best. I think if India picks two teams, the second team will also beat most teams in the world today. Such is the bench strength.”
Speaking about the upcoming Sunday’s Champions Trophy final between India and New Zealand, he said: “I’m fancying India to win it, but we shouldn’t get too complacent. We’re playing against a great international side.
“We’ve been playing very well. So, I’m pretty sure we’ll come home with a cup.”
Published – March 07, 2025 09:14 pm IST
