Exclusive: I will even go to Mars if India and Pakistan play there, says Engineer

It's been almost 50 years since Farokh Engineer stopped enthralling cricket fans with a style of batsmanship that was far ahead of its time.

The legendary Indian wicketkeeper-batsman loved every bit of his playing career in the 1960s and 1970s — even though the big international players back then were paid a pittance compared to the mega bucks the marquee names make today.

Engineer also has no regret that he played in an era where batsmen faced some hostile fast bowlers 'who bowled in the excess of 100 miles per hour on uncovered wickets with no restrictions on bouncers and beamers and no helmets' to save their lives.

But there is something that saddens Engineer to this day: he never got to play an international match against Pakistan due to the political tensions between the two countries.

"Yes, I was saddened by that part, but it could not be helped. None of my generation, you know, (MAK) Pataudi, (Ajit) Wadekar, none of these guys had the opportunity to play Pakistan. That was the time the government restricted sports, you know, the two countries were at war," Engineer, who is in Dubai to commentate on the ICC T20 World Cup for a popular local Radio station, told the Khaleej Times on Thursday.

Engineer then remembered an iconic image that is still close to his heart.

"When I played for the World XI against Australia (in 1971), Zaheer Abbas was my roommate. On the day the war broke out, I was playing with Zaheer," he recalled.

"The Sydney Morning Herald had a big picture on the front page under the headline — 'India, Pakistan at war? But look at these guys playing cricket for the World XI and they are so friendly'.

"You know that made a mockery of the war. I kept that picture for a long time with me."

No wonder then that Engineer would love to see the two great rivals play regularly — not just in the ICC events.

"I would love to see an India-Pakistan played anywhere. I will even go to Mars if India and Pakistan play there," he said when asked of England's recent proposal to host a bilateral series between the two teams amid rising tension between the nuclear-armed South Asian rivals.

"To have an India-Pakistan series in England or in the UAE would be absolutely fantastic. You know there have been some great games in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and especially Sharjah which created such excitement those days.

"So I hope they resume playing each other, wherever it maybe, Dubai or England. But unfortunately, I am not the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). It’s up to the powers that be, it’s up to the government. They take the decisions."

The octogenarian then gushed over the spectacle the two teams produced at the Melbourne Cricket Ground last Sunday.

"Virat Kohli played a phenomenal innings. India did have a bit of luck and in that last over, we saw everything. It was a fitting finish to an India-Pakistan match," he said.

"But what pleased me most was the friendliness of the players on the pitch. It was played in a great atmosphere, with great camaraderie."

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