It's obvious that Lee Fortis, the main curator of the Kennington Oval, is still upset about his acrimonious altercation with India head coach Gautam Gambhir. A video that went viral a week ago showed the two having a heated argument over the Oval's central square.
Fortis has rekindled the controversy by dubbing Gambhir "tetchy" or "bad-tempered," even though India dismissed the incident and stunned England in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy final to level the series 2-2.
Tensions erupted when Gambhir and Oval curator Fortis clashed two days prior to the last Test match between India and England. During an optional practice session, Fortis voiced concerns about Indian players and staff approaching the pitch too closely, which sparked the altercation.
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Gambhir stepped in when Fortis initially went up to Sitanshu Kotak, India's assistant coach. He frequently referred to Fortis as "just a groundsman" and waved his finger at him. Gambhir was cautioned by Fortis to refrain from using profanity or face having the ICC match referee report him.
Fortis was still talking to Kotak when Gambhir became increasingly upset and told the assistant coach not to "get into a discussion" with the curator. An ESPNcricinfo report claims that Gambhir lost his temper when Fortis gave him a second warning and snapped: “You stop it. You don't tell us what we need to do. You have no right to tell us. You're just a groundsman — stay in your capacity. Nothing beyond. You are just a groundsman.”
Seven days after the incident, Lee Fortis told PTI that Indian cricket players and fans now view him as a villain because of the spat. He did, however, commend the IPL - like atmosphere at The Oval and express happiness with the way the series decider went.
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“Well, I was never the villain; I was made into one. Hope you guys enjoyed the show, and the atmosphere was like the IPL. It was a great game,” Fortis, who has been the ECB curator of the year for the past three consecutive years, stated in a lighthearted manner following a hectic week at his office in the Oval.
Fortis is now preparing for the start of The Hundred on August 9. In fact, according to PTI, Fortis returned to the area around the main square to supervise the Hundred games' preparations immediately after Mohammed Siraj dismissed Gus Atkinson, England's last wicket, to give India a six-run victory.
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