India vs New Zealand | Green Park Stadium under full security after Pune pitch row
UPCA has raised the bar for the security of the 22-yard strip to be used for the third ODI between India and New Zealand, in Kanpur on Sunday. The Pune pitch curator Pandurang Salgaonkar was earlier caught in a sting operation sharing pitch information with reporter disguised as a bookie.
Ahead of the second ODI between India and New Zealand, the pitch curator of the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) stadium, Salgaoncar leaked inside information during the sting operation. Taking a lesson from that incident, Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association has tightened up the security in the ground as the third and final match of the series will be played on October 29. The management has already instructed the security officials and groundsmen to not allow anyone into the venue without a valid pass and not to discuss the nature of the pitch with anyone.
“We have to be more careful after the incident in Pune. The police officials have been told that only individuals with valid accreditation can enter the stadium. This practice was already in place but we are extra-cautious now,” UPCA acting secretary Yudhvir Singh told PTI ahead of the series decider between India and New Zealand on Sunday.
“The groundsmen too have been instructed that they don’t need to discuss the nature of the pitch with anyone. What’s the need for that anyway,” Singh added.
The extra security here comes after an alleged malpractice by MCA pitch curator Salgaonkar. He not only disclosed the nature of the pitch but also took the undercover reporter, who met the curator as a bookie, to the ground. According to the BCCI and ICC codes on corruption, no outsider is allowed to have an access to the field before the match.