Sudhir Naik, the Wankhede curator, has complained to the Mumbai Cricket Association because he and his assistant were the targets of an alleged outburst from India team director Ravi Shastri and bowling coach B Arun following South Africa's massive win in the fifth ODI.
"We have received a complaint from Naik alleging two members of India support staff getting involved in a heated exchange with the MCA curators after the Wankhede ODI," MCA joint secretary Unmesh Khanvilkar said. The MCA managing committee, in its next meeting on October 30, will decide whether to forward the letter to the BCCI.
After India's second biggest defeat in terms of runs, Shastri is understood to have sarcastically complimented Naik, saying "great wicket," and he allegedly followed that with an expletive, which led to a heated exchange. Shastri, however, denied that he used the expletive.
It is understood Naik's letter states that Arun complained of the nature of the wicket. Naik said in the letter that the Indian team had not asked for a specific surface and it was unnecessary for Arun to have a go at Rajesh Mhamunkar, who looks after the Wankhede pitch for all non-international matches
The BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur said the facts had to be ascertained. "We need to look at the details first, we can't straightaway go to the action," he said. "As for the BCCI taking action against anyone, whether it is a player or a member of the support staff, if you remember the 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 follow in every case."