Lee Fortis, Surrey's head groundsman at The Oval since 2012, has left the club following disciplinary proceedings, Sportstar reported. Surrey said it had parted ways with him and wished him well, ESPNcricinfo reported.
What happened
Fortis was involved in a heated row, reportedly with an England and Wales Cricket Board employee, on a training day during the Hundred in late July. Surrey first explained his absence as an unusual mid-season break, but he was later reported to be on indefinite leave pending disciplinary proceedings, according to ESPNcricinfo. The findings have not been made public.
Fortis has updated his LinkedIn profile to say he is open to work, after his employment with Surrey ended last month, ESPNcricinfo reported.
Background: the Gambhir row
Indian fans will remember Fortis from 2025, when he had a heated exchange with India head coach Gautam Gambhir ahead of the fifth Test against England at The Oval.
According to India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, who was with Gambhir, Fortis asked the Indian staff to stay two-and-a-half metres away from the pitch, then shouted at support staff carrying an ice box near the square. Gambhir was heard telling him: "You can't tell us what to do; you are just a groundsman and nothing beyond." Fortis later told reporters that Gambhir was "a bit tetchy", Sportstar reported.