'I was made the villain': Oval curator refuses to let go, calls out 'bad-tempered' Gautam Gambhir over salty pitch saga

Lee Fortis, chief curator at the Kennington Oval, clearly hasn’t moved on from his heated spat with India head coach Gautam Gambhir. A week ago, a viral clip captured the two in a tense exchange over the central square at the Oval. While India brushed off the incident and went on to stun England in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy decider to level the series 2-2, Fortis has reignited the row—taking another dig at Gambhir, calling him "tetchy" or 'bad-tempered'. Oval pitch curator had a heated exchange with India head coach Gambhir before 5th Test

Tempers flared two days before the final Test between India and England when Gambhir clashed with Oval curator Fortis. The argument erupted after Fortis expressed concern about Indian players and staff getting too close to the pitch during an optional practice session.

Fortis first approached India’s assistant coach Sitanshu Kotak, prompting Gambhir to intervene. He wagged his finger at Fortis and repeatedly told him he was “just a groundsman.” Fortis warned Gambhir to stop swearing or risk being reported to the ICC match referee.

As Fortis continued speaking with Kotak, Gambhir grew more agitated, telling the coach not to “get into a discussion” with the curator. According to an ESPNcricinfo report, when Fortis issued a second warning, Gambhir 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.”

Speaking to PTI seven days after the incident, Lee Fortis said the spat had made him a villain in the eyes of Indian cricketers and fans. However, he expressed satisfaction with how the series finale played out and praised the IPL-like atmosphere at The Oval.

“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, the ECB curator of the year for the last three years in a row, said on a lighter note after a busy week at his Oval office.

Fortis is now gearing up for The Hundred, which will begin on August 9. In fact, PTI reported that right after Mohammed Siraj cleaned up England's final wicket, Gus Atkinson, to record a six-run win for India, Fortis was back near the main square to oversee the preparation for The Hundred games.

Click here to read article