India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir got into a heated exchange with Surrey’s head of ground staff, Lee Fortis, during a training session at The Oval ahead of the fifth Test. The issue started when Gambhir was told to maintain a 2.5-metre distance while checking the pitch. Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said he had never seen such a thing in his cricketing career.
Fans and critics have expressed mixed opinions about the incident. Among them, the former Indian all-rounder, Irfan Pathan has strongly backed Gambhir, calling the incident unfair and unnecessary.
“Are We Still Stuck in the Colonial Era?” Asks Pathan
Reacting on X, Pathan asked, “So an English coach can walk onto the pitch to inspect it? but an Indian coach can’t? Are we still stuck in the colonial era?”
In a YouTube video, Pathan explained the whole matter and said, “This curator has a history of being rude. There are several instances of him behaving in such a way with overseas teams’ captains and coaches. This isn’t the first time. The process of Gambhir being villainised has been going on in the media for a long time now.”
He also pointed out a double standard. “There’s a photo on Twitter of the same curator standing with Brendon McCullum (England coach) on the same pitch two days before a match. Gambhir also went two days before. How can you then deny him? England’s coach is allowed but not Indian. It feels we are still living in the 1947 era. I cannot accept this (double-standard).”
Pathan said Gambhir wore rubber-spike shoes and wasn’tharming the pitch. “This was an unnecessary controversy,” he added.
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