What’s the story?
Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen has issued an apology to rising British tennis star Dan Evans after brushing aside his request for a selfie outside a Melbourne restaurant. The 36-year old attempted to make up with the Australian Open giant-killer by giving him tickets for a Big Bash League (BBL) match in which he participated.
At a post-match press conference, Evans revealed, “There was some serious rage for about 20 minutes after that happened. He didn't want me to have my picture with him. Quite funny, isn't it, how things work out? He was my favourite cricketer until that point. I think he was worse for wear, That was his excuse when he replied (later on Twitter). It was so embarrassing, as well. He didn't even just say, 'No'. He handed me off, as well.”
In case you didn’t know...
Evans made rapid waves at the ongoing Australian Open by progressing to the pre-quarterfinals round. The 26-year old, who is currently ranked 51 in the world, knocked out seventh-seeded Marin Cilic as well as twenty-seventh seed Bernard Tomic in his best Grand Slam run thus far. However, his giant-killing spree ended when Jo-Wilfried Tsonga managed to defeat him from a set down.
The heart of the matter
The Davis Cup winner ran into his cricket idol Pietersen during the weekend. Upon refusing his request with disdain, the maverick batsman went on to admit that he was heavily drunk when the incident happened. In his official Twitter account, he wrote, “apologies mate! I started drinking at 1 pm so didn't even know my name by the time that function started!”(sic)
Not in the mood to forget things, Evans claimed, “Wondering what is going to happen to his image. That’s probably the only reason he did it.” However, he accepted Pietersen’s tickets and dropped down to the iconic MCG to witness the veteran in action. The Melbourne Stars batsman laboured to a 36-ball 39 in their 3-wicket loss at the hands of the Sydney Sixers.
What’s next?
Due to his exploits in the Australian Open, Evans has pocketed a cool A$200000 ($151,020) and stands a massive chance to land a new kit sponsor as well. Meanwhile, Pietersen will be in action during the semi-final clash against Perth Scorchers at the WACA on Tuesday.
Sportskeeda’s Take
Pietersen is one of the most polarising figures in the history of English cricket. The South African-born cricketer played several sensational knocks in his prime to guide England to numerous famous victories.
However, his frequent run-ins with the management put a premature end to his international career. Even though the apology might not fully nullify the damage, he seems to have taken steps to reconcile with Evans.
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