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The Uttar Pradesh government's Sports Director RP Singh clarified on Wednesday that Shiv Kumar, who till recently carried out responsibilities of a curator at Green Park Stadium in Kanpur, was assigned electrician cum tubewell operator's job.
Since the UP police in co-operation with BCCI's Anti- Corruption Unit (ACU) arrested alleged bookies who tried to tamper playing conditions before an IPL match between Delhi Daredevils and Gujarat Lions, the UP government has transferred Kumar to Ghazipur.
"Shiv Kumar was deputed as electrician cum tubewell operator. The UP government never designated him as pitch curator but he himself started performing curator's duties. On paper, it was not the case. The UP government decided to transfer him because he was posted at the Green Park Stadium, Kanpur for past 15 years," Singh told PTI Bhasha on Wednesday.
Questioned about Kumar’s work as curator, Singh tersely replied: "What can UP government do if someone considers himself a curator?"
It has been learnt that Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) sent him for curators' training programme after electrician Kumar cited his interest in pitch preparations and association never had any designated curator.
Whenever there used to be a match in Kanpur, both home and visiting team captains would always seek Kumar's inputs on behavioural pattern of the track.
Image: The Green Park Stadium
Photograph: Julian Herbert/Getty Images