Melbourne, Nov 11: Australian cricketer Ed Cowan has lamented the controversy, that was sparked off due to an anecdote on his friend and England cricketer Kevin Pietersen

A cricket writer, Michael Atherton, who reviewed Cowan's book "In The Firing Line: Diary of a Season", also reproduced in his work an anecdote about Pieterson not being able to recognise bread and butter pudding when it was served to players at Bellerive Oval.

"I''m not f--king English . . . I just work here," Pietersen had said.

A British newspaper, which had reported the anecdote, interpreted Pietersen's response as showing lack of loyalty towards England since he is born in South Africa.

However, Cowan who had played grade cricket with Pieterson in Sydney, was disappointed by the incident.

"I was really disappointed because this was a guy who lived in my house for a month when he lived in Australia. I didn''t tell him that I''d written it, because I didn''t really feel the need to, because it was a joke and it was bloody funny at the time," Cowan explained.

"I just felt really sorry for him because it wasn''t meant to be like that," he added.(ANI)