Cricket
Twitter remarks cost Lopsy
2011-05-25 20:00
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London - According to the
cricket365.com website, Proteas fast bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe has been thrown out of the Essex set-up after publicly criticising the English county.
Signed by the Division Two outfit during the South African off-season, the left-arm speedster Tsotsobe has endured a torrid time across the County Championship, with five wickets in three four-day matches at a shoddy average of 77.60.
With little more to show for his plighted efforts in limited-overs competition for the Chelmsford-based side, Tsotsobe has since been relegated to their second-string XI.
"Ive never felt like ths eva. Ths is the worst two mnths of my life. And u know wen u start regretin urself it aint gud. its just impossible to work in ths environment," Tsotsobe revealed on Twitter.
Essex coach Paul Grayson expressed disappointment at Tsotsobe's remarks and insisted the 27-year-old's "attitude and work rate are not to the standard of an international cricketer."
"I've read a few of his comments and I am very surprised. We've given him a great opportunity to come and play county cricket and what he has said about us is downright rude," he told the BBC.
"There is every chance he will be on the first plane back to South Africa soon. He might as well go back to South Africa because this is really disappointing and we will be writing to Cricket South Africa about him.
"He has got to take a look at himself. He has not made the most of this opportunity. To hear the things he said about our dressing room, it's very annoying.
"We brought him here to do a job. He got off to a bad start and was under-prepared. His confidence has since been dented.
"In my opinion, he has only got himself to blame."
Grayson said Tsotsobe was, in fact, Essex's third-choice signing after potential deals with Australian fast bowler Peter Siddle and New Zealand seamer Tim Southee fell through.
"We were trying to get Siddle, but then he pulled out, and the arrangement with Tim didn't work out. So, yes, Tsotsobe was our third option. I did a lot of research on him and spoke to some good people in South Africa about him," added Grayson.