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Love rat Nel 'regrets affair'

Johannesburg - Proteas bowler Andre Nel says he regrets cheating on his wife after his mistress, Jelena Kultiasova, decided tell all about their affair.

Nel, 33, who returned to South Africa last week after playing county cricket for Surrey for six months, has been bust by his 34-year-old Latvian lover, after he failed to tell her he was married in the two weeks they were together.

Nel and his wife Deanne Weitz have been married for six years.

According to Gabisile Ndebele of The Times website, Kultiasova said she was "hurt and felt deceived" by Nel. Kultiasova said she discovered Nel was married through the internet, and only after he had left London.

"He told me that he was single for two years after a six-year relationship, and the reason they split up was she cheated on him," she said.


Jelena Kultiasova's Facebook profile picture

Kultiasova sent SMSs, voice messages and pictures of herself and Nel as proof of the affair.

Some of the pictures show them together at the London Eye having drinks; in another, Nel is seen kneeling next to her, mock-kissing her breast.

When confronted about his infidelity, Nel at first threatened legal action and denied the affair.

"This story is quite invalid. We spent time together as friends - well, so I thought - this is not true," he said. "We did all these things as friends, so I thought at the time that it was just a friendship."

But when told Kultiasova had sent incriminating pictures, Nel changed his story.

"Okay, no, we were friends with benefits: we kissed, nothing more."

Then Nel came clean.

"Yes, we did have sex twice, or three times, possibly - and that's it, honestly."

Nel begged for the story not to be published, saying it had nothing to do with anybody.

"I have told my wife. She is very angry, but this is an issue I need to sort out on my own as quietly as possible," he said, adding that they are expecting their first child soon.

This is not the first time Nel has made the news - for the wrong reasons.

Nel has always been a fiery character on the field and blames it on his alter-ego, 'Gunter'.

Nel first made the headlines in February 2001 when he felled his hero Allan Donald with a fierce bouncer during a domestic first-class match. Although Nel burst into tears when Donald was forced to leave the field, it later emerged that he was following instructions from coach Ray Jennings to target South Africa's premier fast bowler.

In 2003 Nel was sent home from the South Africa 'A' tour of Australia after being stopped by Tasmanian police and found to be driving under the influence of alcohol.

Later that year, during the tour of the West Indies, Nel, along with four team-mates, was found guilty of smoking dagga.

In a 2005 Boxing Day Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground he was the subject of racial taunts, in Afrikaans, from fans. 

In early 2009, Nel was banned for three matches after reports of abusive language in an MTN40 Championship match between the Cape Cobras and Highveld Lions.

In May this year, his English county Surrey suspended Nel for two matches following continued on-pitch controversies.

Nel played 36 Tests for the Proteas, taking 123 wickets in the process. He also played 79 ODIs (126 wickets) and two Twenty20 internationals (two wickets).
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