Farook was a superb batsman as well as a stylish personality behind the wicket. He used to play cricket as if he was born to play the game. Being the master of the game, he is an humble fellow always had the eagar to learn from seniors and always had the time to teach the juniors and very very friendly with the contemporaries.
In the given context and for his time Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Farookh Engineer was certainly a foretaste of the much later Adam Gilchrist of our times. In between Farookh and Adam Gilchrist came Sri Lankan keeper-batsman Kaluwitharana who too created all sorts of problems for the frontline bowlers and fielders at the beginning of almost every innings in both versions of the game. Nice write up by Rediff on India's great keeper-batsman of the 1960s and 70s.
Mr Engineer was such a great player, I think it is unfortunate that we have forgotten such greats...and have to actually compare him with someone today - it would have been more appropriate to have an article on Gilchrist and said - Engineer of the 21st century!!!
Farokh Engineer was certainly a very attacking batsman who got 96 before lunch on the first day of a test match in Madras in the mid - 1960s. Thus far and no further. To even try and remotely equate himself to Gilchrist either in terms of aggression or, more importantly, in consistency, is mere megalomania or not knowing enough of Gilchrist. The latter is a terror among bowlers both in tests and one dayers which the bubbly Engineer was not. Come on Farokh, be a sport and know your limitations.
