Pune curator Pandurang Salgaonkar back in business after serving six-month ban

Pandurang Salgaonkar

At 68, Pandurang Salgaonkar doesn't have a lot left to achieve. In usual circumstances, even die-hard cricket fans wouldn't have bothered to know what this former first-class pacer from Maharashtra is upto, 36 years since his last game. But any Maharashtra cricket fan, who saw Salgaonkar in his famous chair just behind the main wicket under a big umbrella at the MCA Stadium, would have felt a sense of joy.

The veteran, in charge of the Pune wicket since the existence of the MCA stadium, is back for his first big game after serving a six-month ban. Following a sting operation by a news channel before the India v New Zealand ODI last October, Salgaonkar was suspended, alleged to have agreed to prepare the wicket according to the requirement of the TV journos who posed as bookies. Following an enquiry by the ICC, Salgaonkar was cleared of all the serious charges, but was punished for failing to report the incident to ICC's anti-corruption unit. The ban ended on April 24, and Salgaonkar was re- instated the following day.

It would be difficult to know how much Salgaonkar has recovered from the humiliation he faced six months ago, a period in which his blood pressure shot up, forcing him to be taken to hospital. While his sting operation and suspension demanded hour-long television debates, his clean chit barely got any coverage. In all probability, not many even know he's got a clean chit from after all. But without a doubt, Friday, April 27 would go down as one of the more pleasant days in Salgaonkar's life.

The happiness in his eyes was hard to miss when he got a warm hand-shake from Chennai' bowling coach L Balaji upon the team's arrival. That followed by a warm hug from head coach Stephen Fleming. The two know each other well of course, with Fleming being the head coach of Pune for the past two seasons. The veteran remained in his chair all through the practice sessions of both teams, something that is not common. But then, one can't blame him for wanting to be in the middle of the action as much as possible, for all the right reasons this time round.

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