Former cricketer Farokh Engineer feels hurt at not getting C K Nayudu award
Mumbai, Nov 27: Former India stumper Farokh Engineer Tuesday expressed disappointment over not getting the coveted Col C K Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award bestowed by the BCCI.
The 80-year-old former cricketer made public his displeasure on not getting the honour during a media meet held here to announce the second edition of '1186 Trophy'.
English cricket county club Surrey and an all-Parsee team will clash here on December 1 for the trophy.
"the CoA or who they call, one of the people said that no Farokh has already got the C K Nayudu (lifetime achievement) award. (In-fact) I was presenting the award (at MAK) Pataudi's lecture in Bangalore a couple of years ago.
Padmakar Shivalkar and Rajinder Goel got it and I'm happy for them...
"When lifetime achievement award is given, i have played almost 50 Test matches with Rs 50 per day and to be deprived of this award, that has hurt me.
"People say I have got this award, but look at the list and I'm not there...," said Engineer from the dais, flanked by President and Secretary of Parsee Gymkhana.
The wicketkeeper-batsman played 46 Tests for India scoring 2,611 runs.
Later, speaking to reporters, Engineer stressed that he deserved the award as he promoted the game not only in India but also at the international level.
"I deserve that award (Col C K Nayudu Lifetime achievement award) because I promoted cricket not only in India but also internationally. It's one of the prestigious awards in cricket and I feel bitter about it that I have been ignored, why, for what reason, who I have upset?," he said.
"I played for my country with great pride. Played cricket in England, I played for the World XI. I was the only Indian cricketer to play for the World XI in England and Australia to start with and then Sunil Gavaskar came in and played.
"So I, mean, naturally won't you feel aggrieved that people who have achieved far far less have been on the (awards) list. It's not only the money (but) it's the prestigious award. And I would say don't demean the award, don't under-value, it's a great award and there are some great names on it," Engineer added.
Lashing out at the authorities for ignoring him, Engineer, who played his last Test match against West Indies here in 1975, said he deserved the award.
"I would be hugely honoured to receive it (the award) one-day if common-sense prevails with the some of the administrators. I think I deserve it... I am not bitter about it, to be bitter is... life is too short, but I would be hugely honoured to receive it (the award) because it is given in huge man's name," Engineer said.
He also lashed out at national selectors, asking "have they played enough cricket", and backed former India batsman Dilip Vengsarkar to be the chief selector.
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Mumbai family deaths: FDA finds no watermelon vendor in area to check for affected stock
Mumbai (PTI): The Food and Drug Administration team probing the cause of death of four members of a family in south Mumbai's JJ Marg area have not been able to zero in on any watermelon vendor in the vicinity to check if the fruit had a role to play in the ill-fated incident, an official said on Thursday.
The Dokadia family, residents of Ghari Mohalla on Ismail Kurte Road, had hosted a get-together of relatives on the night of April 25. At around 1 am, hours after the guests had left, Abdullah Dokadia (40), his wife Nasreen (35), and daughters Ayesha (16) and Zaineb (13) ate pieces of a watermelon.
They suffered severe bouts of vomiting and diarrhoea in the early hours of April 26 and were rushed to a local hospital before being referred to the government-run J J Hospital where all four died during treatment.
"The FDA team visited the house of Dokadia and collected samples of chicken pulao and watermelon pieces. After two days, the leftover chicken pulao had developed fungus growth. The team also tried to locate watermelon vendors to check for any affected lots," he said.
But no vendors were found in the area for the past two days, preventing the FDA team from getting samples, the official added.
The FDA has requested the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to share the report on the food samples collected by them, he added.
A senior Mumbai police official said the force is waiting for FSL reports in the case, adding that questions on presence of sedatives etc in the fruit could be answered only then.
The statements of the kin of the deceased are being recorded to ascertain if it is a case of mass suicide, and it is being checked if the Dokadia family were in debt or distressed over some issue, the police official said.
