The Parsi community celebrated its New Year on Sunday and Engineer, who played 46 Tests between 1961 and 1975 has expressed his regret that he is the last in a short line.
“Yes, it is shame that India has not produced enough Parsi cricketers in the history of 80 years of India’s Test cricketâ€, admitted Farokh Engineer.
Speaking exclusively from England, he however, also says, “It is also remarkable that four Parsi cricketers played together and this is an achievement for the communityâ€.
Nari Contractor, Polly Umrigar, Farokh Engineer and Rusi Surti played two Tests together in West Indies in 1962.
“Though I am proud to be an Indian, I would have liked to see more Parsi players in the Indian team. But I don’t know whether I would be ever happen to see itâ€, the 75-year-old Engineer said.
“The game of cricket requires hard work and the young generation is not coming up to work that hardâ€, Engineer admitted.
“Perhaps it is because of our minor community that we are not able to see Parsis in Indian teamâ€, he concluded.
Nari Contractor, another Parsi, who played 31 Tests for India agrees with Farokh Engineer. “We have only a community of 85,000 people across the world and boys don’t come forward at Mumbai’s Parsi Gymkhana for net practiceâ€.
“Yes, it is shame that India has not produced enough Parsi cricketers in the history of 80 years of India’s Test cricketâ€, admitted Farokh Engineer.
Speaking exclusively from England, he however, also says, “It is also remarkable that four Parsi cricketers played together and this is an achievement for the communityâ€.
Nari Contractor, Polly Umrigar, Farokh Engineer and Rusi Surti played two Tests together in West Indies in 1962.
“Though I am proud to be an Indian, I would have liked to see more Parsi players in the Indian team. But I don’t know whether I would be ever happen to see itâ€, the 75-year-old Engineer said.
“The game of cricket requires hard work and the young generation is not coming up to work that hardâ€, Engineer admitted.
“Perhaps it is because of our minor community that we are not able to see Parsis in Indian teamâ€, he concluded.
Nari Contractor, another Parsi, who played 31 Tests for India agrees with Farokh Engineer. “We have only a community of 85,000 people across the world and boys don’t come forward at Mumbai’s Parsi Gymkhana for net practiceâ€.
