Pune: Sacked pitch curator Pandurang Salgaonkar would now be questioned by Steve Richardson, the co-ordinator of investigations of the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) who reached the city on Thursday.
Salgaonkar, was found talking to two reporters of the India Today channel who represented themselves as bookies and he also allowed them to enter the match pitch.
A BCCI official told PTI, “ICC’s top ACSU official Steve Richardson has reached Pune today. Along with Bir Singh (appointed ICC ACU official for the India vs New Zealand series), Richardson will carry out the investigations. He has already spoken to Salgaonkar and will also speak to the two India Today reporters, who carried out the sting.”
When asked as to whether this would just be an interaction or not, the official added, “No, it was just questioning. Interrogation is a strong word. He has been suspended by the BCCI and state association pending enquiry. At this point, he has not been pronounced guilty. The ICC will only take a call once Richardson submits his report.”
A similar incident happened involving Galle curator Jayananda Warnaweera who was handed a three-year suspension for breaching the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Code. The ICC is trying to bring the pitch curators under the jurisdiction of the Anti-Corruption Code to make sure that such things do not happen in the future.
The BCCI too might take some steps with respect to the financial interests of the pitch curators to prevent them to getting involved in such actions again.