Same curator, two rules? Gambhir denied pitch access, McCullum stood on it

India Today

3 days ago

Preparations for the series-deciding fifth Test between India and England took an unexpected turn on Tuesday after a confrontation between India head coach Gautam Gambhir and Oval chief curator Lee Fortis during the visitors' training session sparked a wider debate over double standards in pitch access.The altercation, which occurred two days before the crucial Test, stemmed from Fortis allegedly instructing members of India's support staff to maintain a distance of 2.5 meters from the pitch during their inspection. Gambhir, known for his forthright approach, took exception to the directive.advertisementEyewitnesses described the scene as visibly tense, with Gambhir reportedly telling Fortis: "You don't tell any of us what we need to do. You have no right to tell us. You are just a groundsman-nothing beyond." Fortis, who has overseen pitches at The Oval for several years and has been awarded by the ECB for his work, responded, "I will have to report this."
The verbal exchange was witnessed by ten Indian players present on the field, excluding captain Shubman Gill. The team was preparing under normal conditions, with most of the support staff wearing joggers rather than spikes-typically a non-issue during such pre-match sessions.India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, who intervened to defuse the situation, later provided context:"When we went to have a look at the wicket, someone came up and told us to stand 2.5 metres away. That was surprising, to say the least. We weren't wearing spikes. There are still two days to go before the match. I've never seen anything like it in my life."Kotak added that while it is fair for a curator to be protective of the pitch, "not to this extent." He also revealed that some Indian players had privately warned him that Fortis "isn't the easiest person to work with."Hours after the Gambhir-Fortis altercation, an old photo of the same pitch curator standing on the pitch with England head coach Brendon McCullum went viral on social media."Brendon McCullum takes his first inspection at the pitch 48hrs out with The Oval's head groundsman Lee Fortis,"-reads the caption of a viral image from the 2023 Ashes, showing the two standing on the pitch under virtually identical pre-match conditions. Former India opener and prominent commentator Aakash Chopra reignited the conversation by sharing the photo on social media, accusing the Oval's pitch curator of hypocrisy and raising questions about double standards."Why are you looking at this pitch, brother? You stay 25 metres away. This is what the groundsman said to Gambhir. And yet, here's the same curator on the pitch with McCullum two days before the Ashes Test. What's going on? Different rules for different people?" Chopra posted on X (formerly Twitter).NO OFFICIAL COMPLAINTDespite the heated nature of the exchange, Kotak confirmed that India would not be lodging a formal complaint. Still, the situation has drawn attention to a broader concern frequently voiced by visiting teams in England-the perceived imbalance in how access and authority are enforced in the lead-up to Tests.advertisementThe England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has yet to issue a public statement on the incident. The Oval, meanwhile, has prided itself on producing top-quality pitches under Fortis' stewardship, having won the ECB's award for best multi-day surfaces in each of the last three years.Yet the perception of inconsistency, especially when dealing with high-profile visiting teams, may now cast a shadow over that reputation. As Kotak put it: "It's okay to be possessive about your pitch. But there has to be a line."- EndsYou May Also Like