• Home
  • Who Said What
  • In Colonial Era Irfan Pathan Exposes England In Gautam Gambhir Lee Fortis Pitch Row

"In Colonial Era?": Irfan Pathan Exposes England In Gautam Gambhir-Lee Fortis Pitch Row

Soumyajit Dutta

Irfan Pathan on the Gambhir-Fortis controversy [Source: @abdullah_0mar/X.com]Irfan Pathan on the Gambhir-Fortis controversy [Source: @abdullah_0mar/X.com]

A heated confrontation between India head coach Gautam Gambhir and Oval pitch curator Lee Fortis has ignited controversy on the eve of the decisive fifth Test against England. The altercation erupted during India's Tuesday practice session.

Reportedly, over disagreements regarding pitch access and practice arrangements, Gambhir was seen visibly shouting at Fortis before being separated by batting coach Sitanshu Kotak. Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan took a strong stance on the heated drama while exposing England's 'double standards'.

Pathan Slams England After Exposing 'Double Standards'

Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan highlighted apparent double standards while reacting to an image of England coach Brendon McCullum inspecting the pitch alongside Fortis, which has been widely circulated in social media. 

The picture of Brendon McCullum with pitch curator Lee Fortis [Source: @abdullah_0mar/X.com]The picture of Brendon McCullum with pitch curator Lee Fortis [Source: @abdullah_0mar/X.com]

Pathan questioned the disparity in treatment of the teams on his official handle on the social media platform X.

"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?" Pathan wrote on his official X handle.

Curator Labels Gambhir "Touchy"

Oval curator Lee Fortis downplayed the clash, deflecting questions about the trigger and implying Gambhir overreacted.

"You’ll have to ask him (Gambhir) that... We’ve got nothing to hide here. He was a bit touchy," Fortis informed the reporters.

Pathan's post resonated widely, fuelling debate about the treatment of subcontinental teams on overseas tours and perceived preferential access for home management.

High Stakes for Final Test

Meanwhile, India enters the series finale at Kennington Oval trailing 2-1, buoyed by a gritty draw at Old Trafford. Adding to the drama, left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh is poised for his Test debut as India seeks to level the series in what promises to be a tense culmination to the tour. 

With everything on the line, India will look to end the series in a draw after the heated affairs in the first four Tests. The fifth and final Test is set to be played at Kennington Oval, which will start from July 31.