{"id":17464,"date":"2026-08-28T08:13:44","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T08:13:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=17464"},"modified":"2026-08-28T08:13:44","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T08:13:44","slug":"groundsman-who-clashed-with-gautam-gambhir-placed-on-leave-after-fresh-controversy-cricket-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=17464","title":{"rendered":"Groundsman who clashed with Gautam Gambhir placed on leave after fresh controversy | Cricket News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-133585580,imgsize-126896,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/oval-staff-lee-fortis-responds.jpg\" alt=\"Groundsman who clashed with Gautam Gambhir placed on leave after fresh controversy\" title=\"Surrey groundsman who clashed with Gautam Gambhir\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Ta7d_ img_cptn\"><span title=\"Surrey groundsman who clashed with Gautam Gambhir\">Surrey groundsman who clashed with Gautam Gambhir<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Surrey groundsman Lee Fortis, who made headlines last year after a heated confrontation with India head coach <a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/topic\/gautam-gambhir\" styleobj=\"[object Object]\" class=\"\" commonstate=\"[object Object]\" frmappuse=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gautam Gambhir<\/a> at The Oval, has been placed on leave following a separate altercation with an ECB employee.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"4\"\/>Fortis was involved in a heated exchange with the employee while preparations were under way for a Hundred fixture. The ECB employee was reportedly left in tears following the incident.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"6\"\/><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"8\"\/>The episode took place at The Oval on July 28, a day before MI London faced London Spirit at the venue, with both teams training at the ground.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"10\"\/>Soon afterwards, Surrey chief executive Steve Elworthy was seen having a firm discussion with Fortis on the field. <!-- -->The groundsman subsequently left the playing area and has not returned to The Oval since.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"15\"\/>It remains unclear whether Fortis will return, with some sources in the English game reportedly believing that he may not resume his role.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"17\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h3>Fortis previously clashed with <keyword id=\"19929078\" type=\"General\" weightage=\"20\" keywordseo=\"gambhir\" source=\"keywords\">Gambhir<\/keyword><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p>Fortis is a well-known figure around The Oval and attracted significant attention last year after an argument with Gambhir during India&#8217;s Test against England.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"21\"\/>The disagreement centred on the condition of the square, with Gambhir telling Fortis: \u201cYou\u2019re just a groundsman, nothing beyond that.\u201d<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"24\"\/>India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak subsequently described Fortis as \u201carrogant\u201d.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"26\"\/>Fortis has served as The Oval&#8217;s head groundsman since 2012, taking up the role at the age of 30. He has since established himself as one of the leading groundsmen in English cricket, winning the ECB&#8217;s Grounds Manager of the Year award three consecutive times from 2022 to 2024.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"28\"\/>During that period, Surrey also won three successive County Championship titles.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"30\"\/>The latest incident has now left one of English cricket&#8217;s most recognisable groundsmen, who stands around 6ft 10in tall, away from The Oval while the circumstances surrounding his absence remain unclear.<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/sports\/cricket\/news\/groundsman-who-clashed-with-gautam-gambhir-placed-on-leave-after-fresh-controversy\/articleshow\/133585094.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Surrey groundsman who clashed with Gautam Gambhir Surrey groundsman Lee Fortis, who made headlines last year after a heated confrontation with India head coach Gautam Gambhir at The Oval, has been placed on leave following a separate altercation with an ECB employee.Fortis was involved in a heated exchange with the employee while preparations were under [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17465,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17464","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-31"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oval-staff-lee-fortis-responds.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oval-staff-lee-fortis-responds.jpg","medium_large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oval-staff-lee-fortis-responds.jpg","large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oval-staff-lee-fortis-responds.jpg","1536x1536":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oval-staff-lee-fortis-responds.jpg","2048x2048":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oval-staff-lee-fortis-responds.jpg","blogsy-small":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oval-staff-lee-fortis-responds.jpg","blogsy-small-tall":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oval-staff-lee-fortis-responds.jpg","blogsy-small-square":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oval-staff-lee-fortis-responds.jpg","blogsy-small-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oval-staff-lee-fortis-responds.jpg","blogsy-medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oval-staff-lee-fortis-responds.jpg","blogsy-medium-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oval-staff-lee-fortis-responds.jpg","blogsy-large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oval-staff-lee-fortis-responds.jpg","blogsy-wide":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oval-staff-lee-fortis-responds.jpg"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"admin","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"Surrey groundsman who clashed with Gautam Gambhir Surrey groundsman Lee Fortis, who made headlines last year after a heated confrontation with India head coach Gautam Gambhir at The Oval, has been placed on leave following a separate altercation with an ECB employee.Fortis was involved in a heated exchange with the employee while preparations were under [&hellip;]","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 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