According to someone who met Lalit Modi recently at a wedding in Europe, besides being in top spirits the buoyant bon vivant, who appears to be bowling one spinner after another, was extra chuffed about the cigarettes he was smoking.

"Here's some packets for you," said the high-flyer, handing out some smartly designed packets, which, on closer examination, turned out to be called 'Lalit Modi'. "Yes, I smoke my own brand," said Modi, whose family owned some of the largest selling cigarette brands in the world.