ICC suspends Indian curator over tainted pitch approach

NEW DELHI: Cricket’s world governing body yesterday banned a leading Indian groundsman for six months for failing to report a corruption approach before a one-day international last year.

Pandurang Salgaonkar, who looks after the ground at Pune, was the subject of an undercover sting by the India Today TV channel, which alleged he agreed to doctor the surface before a one-day international between India and New Zealand in October 2017.

“Salgaonkar was charged with a failure 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,” said an International Cricket Council statement. The ICC decision said there was no evidence that the 68-yearold former player had agreed to accept a bribe when he met the journalists. ICC anti-corruption manager Alex Marshall said, “I am satisfied that Salgaonkar has no case to answer on the broad allegations of corruption made by India Today.”

“Mr Salgaonkar has accepted that he has committed the offence and has received a six-month suspension.” The ban was backdated to October 25, meaning he will be free to work again on April 24. The Board of Control for Cricket in India suspended Salgaonkar after the TV channel showed him promising a favourable wicket for New Zealand to reporters who posed as bookmakers. — AFP