17 January,2009 06:43 AM IST | | Amol Karhadkar
WE'VE DONE IT... AGAIN! Members of the Mumbai team celebrate their 38th Ranji Trophy triumph in Hyderabad yesterday.
Jaffer's Mumbai team decided their own Man of the Match throughout the season
From the opening day of their Ranji Trophy campaign till yesterday, when substitute Sahil Kukreja latched on to an edge off Praveen Gupta's bat to give the domestic giants their 38th Ranji title, Mumbai have been clinical throughout the season.
Other than a setback against Saurashtra in the League stage, Mumbai have hardly blemished during their campaign, which saw an incredible seven outright wins in 10 matches, including a whopping 243-run win over Uttar Pradesh at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium yesterday.
Sure, the Mumbai dressing room depicted a heady picture what with empty bottles of Sula wine and Kingfisher beer scattered all around after the squad's departure to the airport.
But to make a bunch of 15 players a happy unit, it is the team-building efforts of the captain and coach, especially in pre-season tournaments and training camps that matter a lot.
And Mumbai skipper Wasim Jaffer, who was leading a Mumbai side for the first time in 12 years after making his debut, came up with a masterstroke.
As soon as Jaffer took charge at the Buchi Babu tournament, the stylish opening batsman introduced a system of the team naming its own Man of the Match (MoM).
At the end of every match, each member of the squad, coach Praveen Amre, manager Nitin Dalal and physio Aijaz Ashai used to nominate their MoM on a chit. The person with most votes was awarded the prize money that was pooled in by the entire unit.u00a0
So, where did the idea come from?
"Anil Kumble had started something similar when he was in charge of the Indian team," Jaffer told MiD DAY.
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Team building
"It gets everyone involved and motivates all individuals.
"In the Indian team, we used to buy a gift for the team's Man of the Match. But since it was difficult for us to buy a gift with such a tight schedule, we thought we will all contribute and hand over cash to the player."
Jaffer, however, wasn't sure when asked whether it helped the team bind better.
"You will probably need to ask the players that," he said.
And the players, seniors and juniors alike, did acknowledge the move had played its part in team bonding.
"It was a nice move," senior pro Ajit Agarkar said. "It always means a lot when you know your team members are appreciating your contribution.
"Being recognised by every member, including all the seniors, is the biggest reward I could have asked for," Ajinkya Rahane, who walked away with two MoM awards, said.
"It turned out to be a big motivating factor. And it helped everyone enjoy each other's success,"
Rahane added.
Citing an example of the match against Delhi, Jaffer said:u00a0 "Sahil (Kukreja) scored a double hundred in the second innings, yet Ajinkya walked away with the award. And both were enjoying each other's success."
With the team busy in celebrating their deserving title win one will have to wait for some time before the squad votes for Zaheer Khan or Rohit Sharma for the final MoM.u00a0
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Hopefully, they will do it today evening when they will meet MCA president Sharad Pawar.
MUMBAI'S WINNING road to the top
Opponentu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0 Stageu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0MOM
Rajasthanu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0 Super Leagueu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0Dhawal Kulkarni
Gujaratu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0Super Leagueu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0Ajinkya Rahane
Delhiu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0Super Leagueu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0Ajinkya Rahane
Saurashtrau00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0 Super Leagueu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0None.
Hyderabadu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0 Super Leagueu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0Wasim Jaffer
Orissau00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0 Super Leagueu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0Dhawal Kulkarni
Punjabu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0 Super Leagueu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0 Amol Muzumdar
Himachal Pradeshu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0Quarter-finalu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0 Abhishek Nayar
Saurashtrau00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0 Semi-finalu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0Wasim Jaffer
Uttar Pradeshu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0 Finalu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0 Not awarded
