Never mind all that jazz about Chris Gayle playing for the Wellington Firebirds.
The word is the West Indies cricketing body will not let the giant master blaster cross the Tasman to the HRV Cup Twenty20 competition after his mediocre Big Bash campaign in Sydney.
What is definite, though not necessarily riveting, is that BJ Barnett and Hawke's Bay's Michael Taiaroa are in the Devon Hotel Central Districts Stags' mix for 12th man in today's match against the Auckland Aces at Pukekura Park, New Plymouth, from 4pm.
"They have been the best performers at the A's [annual New Zealand A Provincial Tournament] in Christchurch, according to the coach [Andrew Cavell, of Nelson] and selector [assistant coach Craig Ross]," Stags coach Alan Hunt said last night as CD desperately seek their second victory this summer from three remaining games in a bid to avoid the wooden spoon.
A middle-order batsman and offspin bowler who played a first-class match last summer, Barnett will have the edge on batsman Taiaroa.