The International Cricket Council (ICC) has handed six months of backdated suspension to the Pune pitch curator Pandurang Salgaoncar following an investigation by the Anti Corruption Unit (ACU). He has been charged with failure to report an approach by alleged bookies but there was no proof found of him actually engaging in corruption. Therefore, no charges were laid against him on those grounds.

Salgaoncar had been dismissed by BCCI in October last year for “malpractice” which was captured on camera by undercover reporters. However, it did not have any effect on the 2nd ODI of the three-match series between India and New Zealand which went on as planned.

Also read: ICC ACU’s Steve Richardson Questions Pandurang Salgoncar

ICC General Manager (Anti-Corruption), Alex Marshall 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.”

He further elaborated, “Mr. Salgaonkar has accepted that he has committed the offense 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.”

Also read: Underpaid curators are easy target for bookies 

The ICC’s suspension will be backdated to October 25, 2017 – the day he was suspended by the MCA – meaning he can return to work on April 24, 2018.

India Today TV had said its undercover reporters shot the video with Salgaoncar over two days (October 23 and 24) leading up to the New Zealand ODI. In the video, Salgaoncar was seen saying: “It [the pitch] is very good. It will garner 337 runs. And 337 will be chaseable.” New Zealand made 230 in the match, and India chased down the target four overs to spare on a slowing track.