The Konstas Effect: Starstruck cricket fan finally reaps reward after car crash blunder

Cricket sensation Sam Konstas has promised signed merchandise for the fan who accidentally crashed his car trying to meet him. Konstas’ Big Bash League club the Sydney Thunder uploaded a now-viral security video titled “The Konstas Effect” of the teen Test opener arriving at Cricket Central for training on Wednesday morning.

Moments after Konstas walks across camera, a four-wheel drive pulls into the car park, its driver emerging and running after Konstas – only to sprint back to his car on realising he had forgotten to engage the hand brake. The man slips over in his haste and does not arrive at the car before it crashes into another vehicle.

A Thunder representative told AAP that an online aggregate website had tracked the video as having been viewed several million times since it was first uploaded to the internet.

Thunder teammates showed Konstas the video ahead of Friday’s clash with the Sydney Sixers, his final game before flying out for Australia’s Test tour of Sri Lanka that begins later this month. Konstas hopes to catch up with the fan before he ships out for a training camp in the UAE before the two Tests in Galle.

“Hopefully I’ll see him later today and sign some stuff,” Konstas said. “But yeah, hopefully he’s all good.

“I didn’t even know [he was chasing me]. It wasn’t funny, but hopefully he’s all good. But I saw the clip and, yeah, it was a bit viral.”

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The video was the latest reminder of the 19-year-old’s meteoric rise from relative unknown to cricket megastar. Since October, Konstas has scored twin centuries for NSW, made his Test debut in Australia’s triumphant series win over India, and is opening the batting at the Thunder alongside cricket legend David Warner.

An arsenal of creative cricket shots and a legion of captivated fans have become synonymous with Konstas in these few short months.

“It’s happened so quick,” Konstas said. “I was playing grade cricket two months ago and then, yeah, everything’s happened with the Australian team. I’m just trying to be in the moment.”

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With fame has come scrutiny, with sections of the British press sceptical of the swashbuckling teenager, who is eyeing the chance to open the batting in the home Ashes series next summer. One English reporter this week labelled Konstas “gimmicky” and “a cricketing version of Australian breakdancer Rachael Gunn, also known as Raygun.

A pantomime villain for foreign teams across his 112-match Test career, Warner had some advice for Konstas as the youngster begins navigating the ups and downs of international cricket.

“I always found that going with them [detractors] and enjoying it is the right way to go about it,” Warner said. Because at the end of the day, it makes you perform better. They want you to fail, but by you performing, it shuts them up.

“I can’t wait for the Barmy Army to come out next year. It’s going to be exciting. I might be able to throw a few barbs from the commentary box. It’ll be exciting for him to be part of that Ashes squad, permitting form.”

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