ICC suspends MCA pitch curator Pandurang Salgaonkar for six months
After India Today alleged charges of corruption on Maharashtra Cricket Association's pitch curator Pandurang Salgaonkar last year, the ICC has now suspended him for six months following investigations. ICC also revealed that Salgaonkar accepted the charges and will be suspended until April 2018.
It was during New Zealand’s tour of India back in October last year when Salgaonkar was caught in a sting operation clearly agreeing to tamper the pitch while approached by an undercover reporter, who was posing as a bookie.
The allegation had surfaced hours before the 2nd ODI after India had succumbed to a defeat in the first one against the Kiwis. However, the second game was conducted smoothly amidst massive speculation after ICC match referee Chris Broad inspected the pitch.
Though the pitch curator was charged with a failure to report, no evidence was found indicating that he actually engaged in corruption and hence no charges were laid against him. However, after extensive investigation and materials provided to ICC by India Today, ICC has now found him guilty.
"We have carried out an extensive investigation based on the allegations made by India Today and the material they shared with us,” said ICC General Manager for Anti-Corruption, Alex Marshall.
"I am satisfied that Salgaonkar has no case to answer on the broad allegations of corruption made by India Today. However, as he is bound by the ICC Anti-Corruption Code as a participant of the sport, he has been charged with breaching section 2.4.4 of the Code for his failure to report an approach to engage in corrupt conduct,” added Marshall.
The 67-year-old curator had instantly denied the charges and even found a defendant in former BCCI West Zone chief curator Dhiraj Parsana back then. However, with ICC persisting with the investigation, he
"Salgaonkar has accepted that he has committed the offence and has received a six-month suspension, which has been backdated to 25 October 2017, being the date he was internally suspended by MCA, and he will
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