However, Vilas Godbole, who was identified as a first-class cricketer by a Facebook quiz, requests the MCA to release his retrospective pension
Vilas Godbole. File pic/Ashish Raje
Vilas Godbole, the former Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) secretary, has informed the association that he will not accept the Rs 10 lakh cheque that has been reserved for him as an honour for being the only surviving member of the 1974-75 MCA managing committee. The reward was decided upon by the current administration as part of Wankhede Stadium’s 50th anniversary. In a letter sent to the MCA dated February 3, Godbole also requested the Association to consider his pension to be paid with retrospective effect from 2006. Godbole qualified for pension as an ex-Mumbai first-class cricketer by accident and was included in the MCA pension scheme as reported in these columns on June 6, 2018 (see pic).
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Also read: How a Facebook quiz won this Mumbai ex-cricketer his MCA pension
The Rs 10 lakh reward is the same amount each surviving member of the first Bombay Ranji Trophy team that played at the Wankhede Stadium in 1974-75 availed of recently.
Wankhede Stadium’s grand celebration marking its 50th anniversary on January 19. Pic/Atul Kamble
The MCA received Godbole’s letter (a copy of which is with mid-day) on Tuesday. It stated: “Secretary [Abhay Hadap], thank you for the gesture, however, l would not like to accept Rs 10 lacs, as I believe l was not the only person who contributed, but also there were many individuals who contributed to building this iconic stadium and ensured its first Test Match was played in spite of many difficulties.”
Godbole told mid-day on Friday: “I don’t merit it [R10 lakh] because others have contributed too. For example, Ramji Dharod and Waman Bhagwat [both deceased] pacified the crowd who had threatened to damage the Wankhede pitch after a spectator was beaten up by the policemen for entering the playing arena when West Indies skipper Clive Lloyd reached his double century during the inaugural Test in 1975.
Vilas Godbole at Shivaji Park in 2018. File pic/Ashish Raje
‘I’m just happy to be alive’
“Just because I am the sole surviving member of that MCA managing committee doesn’t make me deserve this. I’m just happy to be alive and I’m grateful for the salver the MCA presented me recently.”
In reaction to Godbole declining the Rs 10 lakh cheque, MCA Secretary Hadap said that the Association decided to reward him since he is the only living member of the 1974-75 committee, indicating that Godbole’s decision must be accepted. Apart from being a former administrator and coach, Godbole is an ex-Mumbai University batsman, who represented the city of Mumbai in a 1964-65 match against the visiting Sri Lankan team at the Brabourne Stadium. Since this January 8-10, 1965 match was considered a first-class game, Godbole is a first-class cricketer. This, he discovered through a weekly quiz conducted every Friday on Facebook, in 2018. The MCA was informed of his first-class cricketer status, thus making him eligible for the Rs 20,000 monthly pension. The then newly discovered first-class cricketer was unsurprisingly pleased when the MCA granted him the pension. However, he has been requesting the Association for several years to be paid for the years he missed out on the monthly payment.
A salver presented to Vilas Godbole by MCA recently
Pending pension request
Godbole said in his latest letter to the MCA: “Lastly, I will highly appreciate if you kindly consider my retrospective pension amount due to me as a First Class cricketer.” Hadap told mid-day on Friday that the issue, “has been discussed many times and rejected many times. But we will give it a thought again.”
The MCA initiated the monthly pension scheme with Rs 10,000 in 2006 and increased it to Rs 20,000 from 2014. Godbole turns 83 next Saturday.
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