A year after TV sting, curator Salgaonkar lies low

Salgaonkar, who was cleared of pitch-fixing by ICC, oversaw the pitch preparation for the third ODI between India and Windies. He, however, stayed away from the scribes.

The ICC had served a back-dated six-month suspension on Pandurang Salgaonkar, curator of the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA).

It has been exactly a year since curator Pandurang Salgaonkar was caught in a TV sting operation where he allegedly offered to prepare the wicket for an India-New Zealand ODI match according to the requirement of the journalists who posed as bookies.

Though the International Cricket Council cleared him of pitch-fixing, he was handed a six-month suspension for failing to report the incident to the ICC’s anti-corruption unit.

Read: ICC penalises Salgaonkar on technical count

The Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) reinstated him on April 25, a day after the end of his suspension period.  He played a key role in preparing the wicket for the Indian Premier League (IPL) fixtures this year.

READ: 'How did Salgaonkar let it slip?'

And on Friday, it was business as usual for the 69-year-old pitch curator as he braved the scorching sun to ensure that the wicket was rolled properly for his first international assignment — the third ODI between India and the Windies at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium on Friday — after the sting operation. Salgaonkar — who has also played 63 first-class matches for Maharashtra from 1971 to 1982 — kept a close eye on the entire process along with BCCI-appointed neutral curator Ramesh Mhamunkar.

However, Salgaonkar — upon advice from the association — stayed away from interacting with scribes, lensmen and strangers.