‘Worse for wear’ Pietersen ‘handed me off’, says Evans
Dan Evans is becoming quite a personality Down Under, but it appears that not everyone has been impressed. The Briton admitted after his victory here over Bernard Tomic that he had been snubbed by the former England cricketer, Kevin Pietersen, who plays for the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League.
“He didn’t want me to have my picture with him,” Evans said. “I was coming out of the restaurant. He was walking down the hall. He wasn’t even getting hassled or anything. He was just with three friends. There was no one around him. I’d get it if everyone was asking him. It was amazing. I heard that’s not such a surprise to some people.”
Evans added: “I think he was worse for wear. That was his excuse when he replied. Quite funny, isn’t it, how things work out? He was my favourite cricketer until that point, genuinely was. But there was some serious rage for about 20 minutes after that happened.
“It was a bad moment. It was so embarrassing as well. He didn't even just say: ‘No.’ He handed me off as well. I was nowhere near him either.” Evans also complained that some members of Tomic’s entourage had acted like “complete idiots” in the Australian’s player box during their match.
“They were screaming at me when I was getting my towel,” Evans said. “He has a friend in the box. He doesn’t know how to act on a tennis court, whoever the other guy is.
“He was just screaming at me when I was getting my towel. And the umpire sees it as well and doesn’t say anything. I wish some of the people in my box would do that. The English people are too well-mannered.”
Evans also complained that someone in the crowd had tried to antagonise him when he served.
“This guy behind me - obviously Croatian, Australian, whatever - was coughing as I was throwing the ball up, as well as screaming at me when I was losing points,” Evans said, adding that he had asked in vain for the individual to be thrown out.