The curator at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Ground in Pune, Pandurang Salgaonkar was allegedly caught on camera claiming he had tampered with the pitch where second One-Day International (ODI) between India and New Zealand was scheduled on Wednesday.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) dismissed Salgaonkar, after he allegedly told India Today TV reporters, who were posing as bookies, that he had tampered with the surface.
In the sting operation, Salgaonkar is seen taking the reporters to the ground before the ODI which is against the rules.
In a conversation, he is also seen telling the reporters that the pitch will see a score of 337 runs.
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#IndiaToday's Mega Expose: Pune curator Pandurang Salgaonkar spills the beans on 'accommodating pitch' for cricketers.#OperationCricketGate pic.twitter.com/yu3Irvkkik — India Today (@IndiaToday) October 25, 2017
"The BCCI has zero tolerance towards any activity that brings the game into disrepute," Amitabh Choudhary, the BCCI's acting honorary secretary, told India Today.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) officials cleared the match to start on schedule after India’s cricket board banned Salgaoncar from the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) ground.
ICC has also launched an investigation into the pitch tampering claims "to establish the facts".
“We are investigating the allegations from Pune this morning, as with all international cricket,” an ICC spokesman told the AFP.
“As with all international cricket, the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit has an ICC ACU Manager on the ground in India and we are in close contact with him.
“We are now looking to establish the facts and will make no further comment while this is ongoing.”
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