Tool by the pool and no more wool

	England's new gear did not win approval from all critics © AFP Enlarge

Ronchi and the rich man
Luke Ronchi, the Western Australia wicketkeeper-batsman, decided not to register for the Indian Premier League (IPL) auctions for a simple reason: he thought he would look like "a tool". Certainly Ronchi wanted to play but he is not yet an international and thought it would be presumptuous to nominate himself. But Mumbai chased him to top up their list and last week he found himself at a dinner party thrown by the franchise's owner, Mukesh Ambani, and ended up by the pool at Ambani's mansion, chatting to his Mumbai team-mate Sachin Tendulkar. The next day Ronchi described his evening. "It was an amazing experience to meet that guy [Ambani]," he said. "He is one of the richest men in the world, I think. He's got a massive house." So he should - Ambani's US$43 billion worth makes him the fifth-richest man in the world.

Brendon and Bollywood
Shah Rukh Khan might not be in the same ballpark as Ambani in terms of personal wealth, but on the opening night of the IPL he was the man with the most reason to celebrate. Viewers could have been forgiven for thinking his Kolkata Knight Riders were in fact owned by Auric Goldfinger, so bright were their pads and helmets, but the regular shots of Shah Rukh bowing down to Brendon McCullum made it clear who had most invested in the franchise. McCullum's Twenty20 record score of 158 not out gave the IPL the ideal start and there are bound to be more glittering moments during the six-week event.

A fleece too far
England's new gear was launched during the week and it marked a major shift away from the traditional knitwear. The players will wear fleecy jumpers made from 'ClimaWarm fabric', the intention being to provide a breathable garment that keeps body temperatures regulated. Admittedly, cricket is perhaps the only sport besides golf where cable-knit tops would ever have been considered appropriate, and Michael Vaughan welcomed what he hoped would be the death of the woolly cricket sweater. Not everybody was happy, though. The Daily Telegraph called the fleeces "distinctly flimsy-looking" and a "sartorial horror". "Our players can often be seen lounging in the pavilion in vests and shell-suits," the paper said. "But a fleece? That is a step too far."

Balls up
At least the England players know their equipment will be available on request, which is not necessarily the case for cricketers at a slightly lower level. Less than a week before the start of the season in Yorkshire's Drakes League, they still didn't have any balls. League officials knew where the things were, they just couldn't get their hands on them. The balls were provided by a sponsor and arrived at Manchester Airport from Asia, only to be impounded for three weeks due to problems with the paperwork. "Customs would not release them until it was sorted out," the exasperated executive secretary of the league, Trevor Atkinson, said. Perhaps if they didn't turn up by the first round officials could even things up by banning batsmen from using bats.

Is that you, Yousuf?
Being mistaken for a sports star could have some obvious benefits, but it was all downhill for a Mohammad Yousuf lookalike during the fourth ODI between Pakistan and Bangladesh in Multan. He did bring the trouble on himself, though. According to a report in the Dawn, a local named Mohammad Shafiq styled himself as the batsman "with the same flowing beard and cap" and tried to enter Pakistan's dressing room. But the timing of his attempt did not help his chances of fooling the security staff - the real Yousuf was out on the field at the time. Shafiq wasn't charged but was escorted from the ground, and when he returned later, the security staff again asked him to leave. "Okay, so I might not be the real Mohammad Yousuf, but I have a valid ticket and I have every right to watch the match," he said. "I had no bad or dangerous intention and was just trying to get near the dressing room to have a glimpse of the players." Perhaps he didn't get a good enough look the first time - he reportedly caused problems for security staff when Pakistan played Zimbabwe in Multan earlier this year.

Quotehanger
"It will be hard not to say something to someone, but I think the pace of the game will help as there will be no time to sledge. Well, maybe a little sneaky one here or there."
Shane Warne believes even in Twenty20 there will be room for a word or two to the batsmen