Shoaib Akhtar 'shocked' and 'stunned' after pitch fixing incident

Former Pakistani speedster Shoaib Akhtar on October 25 tweeted that he was left ‘shocked’ and ‘stunned’ after a leading Indian news channel exposed Maharashtra Cricket Association pitch curator Pandurang Salgaonkar. He allowed channel reporters, disguised as bookies, to tamper with the pitch that was meant to be used for the 2nd ODI between India and New Zealand at Pune.

In the expose by India Today, Salgaonkar gave access to reporters to inspect the pitch, clearly violating the laws set by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the International Cricket Council (ICC). The pitch curator mentioned to them that the pitch could be customised as per their demands. The entire scene has been captured on tape.

Shoaib Akhtar took to Twitter to share his views on the whole controversy. Shoaib tweeted: “Am shocked and speechless to hear about this new #pitchfixing scandal.”

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Cricket Association promised strong action, saying, “We will look into the matter. Rest assured, if anyone found guilty, strict action will be taken,” said MCA president Abhay Apte in response to the report.

“The BCCI has zero tolerance on such issues. I am not yet aware of the full thing. I will attend to it immediately and take the strictest action. The guilty will not be spared,” said BCCI joint secretary Amitabh Chaudhary, as reported by inUth.

Apart from Shoaib Akhtar, former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly too expressed his views on this issue. “I am watching this on TV. I really don’t know what Salgaonkar is trying to say. I don’t think there is any way of stopping people from reaching the pitch. That is an issue in Indian cricket,” claimed Sourav Ganguly according to India Today.

However, this incident did not affect the execution of the match as it is underway after New Zealand won the toss and opted to bat first.