Ravi Shastri clears the air on the Wankhede pitch curator controversy

Team India’s director Ravi Shastri’s contract ended on 1st April 2016 and he is back in the commentary box in the ongoing IPL 2016. The performance of the Indian cricket team was decent during his stint as there were more highs than lows.

However, the most controversial moment of his tenure was definitely the altercation he had with the pitch curator Sudhir Naik.

Shastri was alleged to have abused Wankhede curator Sudhir Naik after India’s humiliating loss in the ODI series decider against South Africa in 2015. Naik went on to lodge a complaint against Shastri and wrote to the Mumbai Cricket Association about it.

But there was no comment from Shastri about that infamous saga.

‘I just told what I saw’

In a recent interview to the Indian Express, Shastri has opened his mouth about that contentious incident.

He dramatically said, "No no no… I told him ‘great track, Sudhir’. It was outside the balcony yaar. I said champion , he got angry and said, ‘thankyou, thankyou!’ And then I turned around and was going like this — there was a manager and three other guys. I said, I said, ‘Shove up the a***.’ I could have told him (Sudhir) there only. Five guys were there as witness, ki yeh aisa kyun chilla raha hain. My back is turned and not even looking at him. Uska naam bhi nahi liya hai (I didn’t even name him).

“I am saying it wasn’t directed at him. There were three other fellows who were supposed to water. In the end, he started blaming Dhiraj Prasanna. There were four-five guys ; it’s not he who prepared the pitch, there are watering guys and all that. If you think, I meant the guys who prepared the wicket, them only. But I didn’t go and abuse him on his face; it was more of a comment, “ He also added in his defence.

But when asked about his comments on the former Mumbai Captain Sudhir Naik, Shastri retorted in a quintessential manner, “Bulls**t. I just told what I saw. The issue is when I am looking at my team, I don’t look at selection. Usi match mey Umesh ko nahi liya! Three bowlers 130, 130 ,130.. bloody hot it was that day. If they had fielded na, do-teen jaan jaata! (2-3 lives would have gone!)”

Shastri is a man who is known to speak his mind. His effusive commentary has always been praised by one and all. He surely has hit the controversy out of the ground in his recent interview.