Indian Test Curator Sacked After Being Caught Red Handed In Pitch Tampering Scandal

Caught in a sting


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The curator at Pune’s cricket ground has been sacked after he was caught in a sting passing pitch information to undercover reporters posing as bookies.

The curator, Pandurang Salgaoncar, was caught by India Today TV reporters saying that he had doctored the pitch that India played New Zealand on last night.

He was also seen showing the men around the surface, breaching ICC rules about access to the pitch.

The reporters were allowed to walk on the middle of the pitch.

Watch the India Today report here:

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The game was allowed to go on after an independent assessment showed the pitch was fine to play on.

“A neutral curator from Mumbai has taken charge (for the New Zealand game),” CK Khanna, acting president of the BCCI, told AFP.

“He has inspected the pitch and found it to be perfectly fine. The match is on.”

Khanna confirmed the Pune curator had been sacked.

“Yes, he has been suspended and banned from entering the stadium,” he said.

The BCCI also released a statement confirming Salgaonkar’s termination.

"After reports stating an alleged malpractice from the MCA (Maharashtra State Cricket Association) pitch curator, Mr Pandurang Salgaonkar, the MCA has dismissed Mr Salgaonkar from the position of Curator with immediate effect," the statement read.

"The BCCI appointed curator Ramesh Mhamunkar was immediately made the point person for the centre wicket and the field of play for the second ODI between India and New Zealand.

"The International Cricket Council (ICC) Match Referee Mr Chris Broad inspected the pitch ahead of the match and cleared the same for the game to go ahead."

26 October 2017




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