Two-toed Martin Guptill among the best Kiwi fielders

NZ batsman Guptill has only two toes. Yet, he is one of the best fielders in the side

Two-toed Martin Guptill among the best Kiwi fielders

NZ batsman Guptill has only two toes. Yet, he is one of the best fielders in the side

Dressed in his black and grey practice gear, Martin Guptill made a casual entry for a press briefing before New Zealand's practice session began at the Wankhede Stadium yesterday. However, what was striking, was to see that he had only two toes on his left foot.

The affected portion of New Zealand batsman Martin Guptill's left foot
captured at the Wankhede Stadium yesterday. Pics/Sachin Halde

On enquiries, we learnt that Guptill had just made his debut for Avondale College at 13, when a forklift truck, driven by his brother Ben, crushed his three toes. The doctors originally set the toes, but when there were no signs of healing, they were left with no choice but to amputate them.

Martin Guptill

There were concerns about how it will affect Guptill's ability to play cricket. He rose against adversity and 10 years later, made a stunning entry into international cricket by becoming the first New Zealander to score a century on ODI debut.

He also surpassed Stephen Fleming's record for the highest individual score by a Kiwi debutant (122 not out).u00a0 Incidentally, Fleming visited Guptill in hospital after his surgery because Guptill's father Peter wanted a NZu00a0 player to cheer up his son. Fleming paid a visit at the behest of then team manager Jeff Crowe. Now, nearly 12 years later, Guptill has made light of the tragic incident. He also laughs at his nickname, 'Marty Two-Toes.'
"It requires supreme determination to overcome such incidents. He hasn't made that as an excuse for not succeeding in life," Kiwis team manager Dave Currie told MiD DAY.u00a0

"The fact that he is one of the best fielders in the New Zealand team shows that he does not face any discomfort. He does not talk about that incident anymore," Currie added.