Pune Pitch Curator Pandurang Salgaonkar Handed Six-Month Suspension by ICC

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday announced they had suspended Maharashtra Cricket Association’s curator, Pandurang Salgaonkar for six months following an investigation over charges of corruption.

No evidence was found of Salgaonkar getting involved in corruption, and no further charges were laid against him.

According to ICC, Salgaonkar was charged on the basis of failing to “report an approach, but no evidence was found of him actually having been engaged in corruption, and therefore no charges were laid against him on that basis.”

Salgaonkar’s suspension has been back-dated to October 25, 2017, will be allowed to resume his duties from April 24.

The incidence happened before a match between India and New Zealand in 2017.

Salgaonkar’s acts were caught following a sting operation carried out by India Today journalists. The journalists engaged Salgaonkar in a conversation regarding the condition of the pitch and the curator gave all the information.

The curator immediately got suspended from all positions he held at the cricket association.

Following an investigation, the ICC determined that there was insufficient evidence to implicate any serious penalty on the curator.

The video which suggested potential breaches of Code Article 2.1.1 (that deals with influencing a game), 2.1.3 (accepting money) or 2.3.2 (disclosing inside information that results in betting).

Alex Marshall, ICC’s General Manager of Anti-Corruption, said,

“We have carried out an extensive investigation based on the allegations made by India Today and the material they shared with us. I am satisfied that Mr 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,” 

“Mr 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, therefore, be free to resume his duties on 24 April 2018.”

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