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Indian coach Gautam Gambhir clashed with Oval pitch curator Lee Fortis over pitch access before the fifth Test. Fortis asked the team to remain 2.5 meters away, causing tension.
Oval curator returns, asks the Indian think tank to maneuver away from pitch
The altercation between Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir and Oval pitch curator Lee Fortis has turn out to be the talk of the town. A few days prior to the fifth Test against England, Gambhir & Co. were having a take a look at the pitch when the curator intervened and asked them to remain 2.5 meters away. Fortis’ tone seems to have irked the Indian coach who furiously gave it back, saying, “You might be only a groundsman, stay in your capability.”
Inside 24 hours, one other clip surfaced on social media, showing Lee Fortis asking the think tank to take care of a distance from the pitch—this time, the interaction appeared calm, with no signs of confrontation.
On Wednesday, Gautam Gambhir, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, captain Shubman Gill, and chief selector Ajit Agarkar were seen having a discussion near the pitch. As Fortis approached and asked them to step aside, Agarkar promptly moved away, followed shortly by Gambhir, Kotak, and Gill, who eventually shifted their positions.
Kotak’s Explains The Gambhir vs Fortis Incident
Addressing the media on Tuesday, India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has revealed that The Oval head groundsman Lee Fortis ‘shouted’ on the visiting support staff over their decision to position a cooling box near the pitch.
“No, when he was bringing the cooling box there, he was sitting on the roller, he shouted and told the support staff to not take it there. Now the burden of that cooling box shall be 10 kilos, based on me. It’s going to not be greater than that. And what we’re doing there,” Kotak said within the press conference.
“So, it is sweet to be a bit possessive, and additionally it is good to be protective, but not that much. So, then Gautam just said that don’t discuss with the support staff like this, since the support staff, all of us come under the pinnacle coach. Any head coach will say that you just cannot shout from there and say this,” he added.
Gill Calls Curator’s Act Unnecessary
Speaking with the media on the eve of the fifth and final Test against England, Gill said the team received no such instructions at previous venues they played at to this point within the series.
“I don’t know what exactly happened yesterday and why the pitch curator did what he did. We’ve played 4 matches, and nobody tried to stop us. Everyone has played a lot cricket, and the coaches and the Captain have gone and seen the wicket so again and again. I dont know what the fuss was all about,” Gill said on the presser.
A cricket enthusiast whose dreams of playing for India paved the best way for a compelling journey in journalism. With a comprehensive coverage spanning international and domestic cricket across formats, I even have had …Read More
A cricket enthusiast whose dreams of playing for India paved the best way for a compelling journey in journalism. With a comprehensive coverage spanning international and domestic cricket across formats, I even have had … Read More
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