Irfan Pathan, a former all-rounder for India, has spoken out in favour of his former teammate, stating that Gambhir had every right to go and stand close to the 22-yard line. As evidenced by the images posted online, Pathan has actually blasted the groundskeeper for even considering doing what he did a few days prior to the match, when English players were free to move around the pitch.
Since then, the contentious incident involving India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir and ground crew member Lee Fortis at the Oval in London prior to the fifth Test match between England and India has been making the rounds in the media. Gambhir was seen reprimanding the groundskeeper for preventing him from remaining close to the field, where the next game will be played, in a video that went viral on social media.
“This curator has a track record of being impolite. He has acted in this manner with the coaches and captains of foreign teams on multiple occasions. This is not the initial instance. Gambhir has been being portrayed as a villain in the media for a while now.
On his YouTube channel, Irfan Pathan stated.
The Baroda native thought it was amusing that only the Indian team was permitted to approach the ground after seeing photos of English players and coaching personnel standing there before the match. Pathan also thinks it was crucial that Gambhir approached the field to determine its hardness and whether it was dry or wet, as these factors could have an immediate effect on the lineup for the game that begins on July 31.
“In the end, we give the visiting teams in India the red carpet. Nobody should have any issues with us following the regulations when we travel abroad. Two days prior to a game, a picture of the curator and England coach Brendon McCullum standing on the same field has been shared on Twitter. Gambhir left two days earlier as well. Then, how can you refuse him? Indian coaches are not permitted, but English coaches are. We still feel as though we are in 1947. This is unacceptable to me (double-standard). How will you prepare for the game if you are unable to inspect the pitch? You must feel the pitch with your hands to determine its hardness and whether it is damp. That’s not possible if you’re staring from 2.5 meters away. “There was no need for this controversy,” he continued.
For the sixth game, England makes four changes.
England will go into the encounter without players like their star bowler Jofra Archer and their reliable captain Ben Stokes. In addition to the two, the hosts have made two more adjustments that have somewhat redesigned their bowling attack for the series’ final match. The team’s captain for this match will be Ollie Pope.
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