Vengsarkar Attacks Hayden For Gambhir Criticism: 'If This Happened To Aussies..'
Dilip Vengsarkar criticised Matthew Hayden for his comments on Gautam Gambhir's confrontation with Oval pitch curator Lee Fortis.
Dilip Vengsarkar lashed out at Matthew Hayden for his comments on Gautam Gambhir's confrontation with the Oval pitch curator. The incident happened during a practice session before the fifth Test when Gambhir, India's head coach, had a heated exchange with Lee Fortis.
In a video, which quickly went viral, Gambhir was seen pointing a finger at Fortis and saying, 'You don't tell any of us what we need to do. You have no right to tell us, you're just a groundsman, nothing more."
After the match, legendary Australian batter Matthew Hayden weighed in on the issue. Speaking on All Over Bar The Cricket, Hayden suggested that the curator might have been asserting his authority over the Oval as his home turf, possibly making things difficult for Gambhir. However, Hayden also believed Gambhir could have chosen his words more carefully.
'This is a typical case in England. It is a bit of a flex, here we are, final Test match, this is my venue, and they are going to try and make it difficult on Gautam Gambhir. But I think he's got every right to tone it down. He could have used better language. But the reality is, his team is trying to train ahead of the most important Test match," Hayden was quoted as saying on All Over Bar The Cricket.
'As the head coach of the Indian team, Gambhir had every right to see the pitch from close quarters. When teams tour India, their entire squad, not just the captain and coach, examines the pitch minutely. Even their media inspects the pitch before the match. No one tells them anything. So, how are the rules different when we are playing in England?" Vengsarkar was quoted as saying to Mumbai Mirror.
Vengsarkar also challenged Hayden directly, questioning how Australian players would react if faced with similar treatment.
'Would Hayden, or any of the Aussie cricketers, take it well if a curator had asked them to stay away from the square ahead of an important match? If this had happened to the Aussies, they would have used the choicest words to show the curator his place," he added.
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