'Are we stuck in colonial era?': Irfan Pathan, Madan Lal back Gautam Gambhir after spat with The Oval curator

Even as Indian cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir faces scrutiny for the language used against The Oval’s chief curator Lee Fortis, former India all-arounders Irfan Pathan and Madan Lal have come out in support of Gambhir, lambasting the behaviour of the groundsman. Gambhir and curator Fortis were involved in a heated debate on Tuesday (29 July) as Team India turned up at The Oval for a practice session ahead of the fifth and final Test against England, which starts on 31 July.

As per India’s batting coach, Sitanshu Kotak, the fracas began when Fortis warned Indian support staff to stay at least “2.5 metres” away from the pitch. Kotak added that Fortis was arrogant in the way it made the demand

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What started Gambhir vs curator spat?

“When we were having a look at the wicket, they sent a man to tell us to stay 2.5 metres away from the pitch. We were wearing joggers," Kotak said on Tuesday. “You can be protective about the square, but not arrogant. It’s not an antique that you can’t touch."

Kotak also pointed out that Fortis was guilty of yelling at Indian staff for carrying an ice box near the square. “He yelled at the Indian support staff when they were getting ice box, it hardly weighs 10 kgs. The way he spoke it was a bit arrogant.”

As a result of Fortis’ high-handed behaviour, when pictures of him standing on the pitch with England coach Brendon McCullum are already out there, Gambhir lost his cool and asked the curator to stick to his job.

“Ok, you don’t tell any of us what we need to do. You don’t tell us. You don’t have any right to tell us. You don’t have any right to tell us what we need to do, ok? You are just a groundsman, so just stay in your capacity. You are just a groundsman, nothing beyond that. Just a groundsman,” Gambhir was heard saying in one of the videos going viral from the incident.

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Irfan Pathan, Madan Lal back Gambhir after spat at The Oval 

Now, former Indian cricketers Irfan Pathan and Madan Lal have come out in support of Gambhir. Pathan questioned why McCullum is allowed to “walk onto the pitch” but Gambhir cannot do the same. He also alleged that the unfortunate incident hints towards the presence of a colonial-era mindset among the local staff.

“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 questioned on 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?

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) July 29, 2025

1983 World Cup winner Madan Lal said that it was wrong for a curator to ask the visiting team’s coach to stay away from the pitch.

VIDEO | On the viral video of verbal spat of India head coach Gautam Gambhir with The Oval Cricket Ground pitch curator Lee Fortis, former India cricketer Madan Lal (@MadanLal1983) says, "I am with Gautam Gambhir, whatever he did was right, we never question the visiting team… pic.twitter.com/34x3CoAY3x

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 29, 2025

“I am with Gautam Gambhir, whatever he did was right. We never question the visiting team while they inspect the pitch and never ask them to stay away from it. I don’t know whether he was instigated, but it is the team’s right to see the pitch,” he told news agency PTI.