Wankhede pitch curator lodges complaint against Ravi Shastri

Wankhede pitch curator lodges complaint against Ravi Shastri: Sudhir Naik, the Wankhede curator, has filed a written complaint to the Mumbai Cricket Association, where he has alleged that two Indian support staff members – Ravi Shastri and Bharat Arun abused him after India lost to South Africa in the fifth ODI on Sunday at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.

“We have received a letter from Sudhir Naik where he has alleged that two Indian team support staff members Shastri and Arun had a heated argument with him post the India versus South Africa game. The matter will be put up in the next MCA managing committee meeting,” MCA joint-secretary Unmesh Khanvilkar was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

Naik submitted his written application to MCA vice-president Dilip Vengsarkar on Monday reportedly alleging that Ravi Shastri had asked him to prepare a slow pitch for the series decider in Mumbai. But the pitch that was prepared had runs written all over it. South Africa, who scored 438 runs, with three batsmen scoring centuries, batted India out of the contest with their mammoth total. India only managed to score 224 runs, thus losing the game by 214 runs and also the series. After the defeat Team Director, Shastri, who was unhappy with the pitch that was laid out for the crucial ODI, is said to have abused Naik in Marathi.

The Mumbai Cricket Association will discuss the matter in its next meeting. The BCCI have made their stance clear that they are going to punish the culprit irrespective of whether is a player or support staff.

“As for the BCCI taking action against anyone, whether it is a player or a member of the support staff, if you remember the (Kohli abusing a journalist) incident in Australia, and in the last six months we have made it very clear that the rules and regulations are equal for everyone. The same yardstick will be followed in every case,” BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur said.