Mumbai varsity coach has a novel way to inspire players

GET Rs 500 if you score a century or take five wickets.

This is how Mumbai University coach Vilas Godbole encourages his players to give their best. The 66-year-old pensioner gives the reward out of his own pocket. "I don't mind it because something good is happening. I can see these lads striving to get the Rs 500 note, which also helps them improve their performance," Godbole said.

"It is not just about money. It is an incentive to get the best out of a player. And I do it with whichever team I coach. Even crucial innings or wickets get recognition," added Godbole, who has already spent Rs 1,500 in the ongoing Inter-University tournament so far.

No prize this time
Unfortunately, there was no Mumbai University player to get any reward yesterday, in spite of some decent bowling performances from Vishal Dabholkar (4-39) and Balkrishna Shirke (3-52) which restricted SRM University (Tamil Nadu) to 198 in the first innings of the Inter-University final at the Oval Maidan. At the end of Day One, Mumbai were 55 for three.

"Vishal should have got five wickets, but he let his intensity down in between. The way he was bowling, he should have ran through the opposition," Godbole said.

Talking about his innovative idea, Godbole said he is merely continuing what his father did. "He used to give me Rs 5 and Rs 10 during my playing days for scoring a century or taking wickets. It motivated me a lot to play a big innings," he said.

The idea has also been used by several others Notably among them is Sachin Tendulkar's coach Ramakant Achrekar, who used to keep a Re 1 coin on the stumps. The coin went to the batsman who batted without being bowled.