Internet Desk: The BCCI has suspended Pune’s Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium pitch curator Pandurang Salgaoncar with immediate effect after he claimed in a sting operation that he had tampered the pitch ahead of the crucial second ODI between India and New Zealand.
A few hours before the do or die match in Pune, Salgaoncar told ‘India Today TV’ in a sting operation that he had tampered the pitch.
“Pandurang Salgaoncar has been suspended from the Maharashtra Cricket Association’s curator’s post with immediate effect,” BCCI acting Secretary Amitabh Chaudhary told PTI.
“The MCA has also suspended Salgaoncar from all other positions in the association. An inquiry Commission will also be constituted by MCA. At BCCI, we reiterate that we have zero tolerance towards any corrupt activity,” he added.
The expose revealed a serious lapse in the functioning of the BCCI’s anti-corruption mechanism but Chaudhary said today’s match must go ahead.
While no decision on the fate of the match has been taken yet, both the BCCI and ICC Officials are now currently in a huddle to decide on the way forward after the revelations made by the sting operation.
Another BCCI official, who didn’t want to come on record said that: This is completely uncalled for and every BCCI accreditated member is well averse with the rules and regulations and about the security and entering the field of play, so such an incident should not have occurred under any circumstance. There is no way that such a lapse can be justified if it has happened. Strict action will be taken if found guilty,” the official said.
What has left senior BCCI officials baffled is the fact that Salgaoncar allowed the reporter to accompany him to the main match pitch.
“The BCCI Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) under Neeraj Kumar will have some answering to do. Here a random man comes, doesn’t have an all-access area pass (only given to those who can enter any area) and is taken to the main pitch by the curator,” a BCCI official said.