India captain Shubman Gill has weighed in on the recent heated exchange between head coach Gautam Gambhir and Oval pitch curator Lee Fortis, calling the incident “absolutely unnecessary.”
The Pitch Inspection Dust-Up
The controversy erupted when viral clips showed Gautam Gambhir in a verbal spat with Lee Fortis. The argument reportedly stemmed from the Indian team’s attempt to inspect the pitch up close ahead of the fifth Test against England at The Oval.
Shubman Gill stated that the team had never received any specific instructions to stay away from the pitch. He noted that in his experience, players and coaches are usually allowed to examine the wicket from close quarters, provided they are wearing rubber spikes or are barefoot.
“Absolutely Unnecessary,” Says Gill
Gill expressed confusion over the curator’s stance, highlighting that India has played four matches on the tour without any such restrictions. He emphasized that pitch inspections by captains and coaches are common practice in cricket.
“I don’t know what happened yesterday, why the curator didn’t allow it,” Gill remarked. He firmly believes that coaches have every right to approach the pitch for a closer look, especially given their extended stay in England for nearly two months.
Gautam Gambhir’s Heated Exchange
The incident saw Gambhir yelling at Fortis, with the coach reportedly saying, “you don’t tell us what we need to do.” India’s batting coach, Sitanshu Kotak, later confirmed that Oval staff had instructed the team to stay 2.5 meters away from the playing surface during their inspection.
This instruction seemingly triggered the confrontation. Visuals captured by media showed the heated moment, during which Fortis reportedly threatened to raise a complaint with the match referee.
Who is Lee Fortis?
Lee Fortis has served as the head pitch curator at The Oval in London since 2012. Before that, he was an assistant head groundsman at the same venue until 2006.
Fortis is an acclaimed professional, having received the award for best multi-day pitches for three consecutive years at the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) 2024 Grounds Manager of the Year Awards.
- Shubman Gill described the pitch argument as “absolutely unnecessary.”
- Gill stated there were no prior instructions to stay away from the pitch during inspection.
- Coaches and captains traditionally inspect pitches up close, wearing rubber spikes or barefoot.
- Gautam Gambhir had a viral verbal spat with Oval curator Lee Fortis over the issue.
The incident has added an unexpected layer of drama ahead of the crucial fifth Test, raising questions about standard pitch inspection protocols in international cricket.
