There is a long and somewhat obscure tradition of playing pranks on April 1st, dating back at least to the 16th century. This custom is thought to have started in France but it has been enthusiasticaly adopted by many countries and cultures. April Fool's stories are common in the media in England and the US, and CricInfo instituted its annual tradition in 1997, with news of a rumoured ICC rule change. A Mr Loof Lirpa is a common contributor of these pieces, a strong hint to anyone who examines his name carefully (we believe that Mr Lirpa has made independent contributions to Scientific American articles on the same theme in the past). The mark of a good April Fool's article is that it should be believable (but only just), but contain sufficient hints that the reader might want to check the date before taking it too seriously. We hope you enjoy the stories below.

• 1997: Rule change shocks statisticians
• 1998: Shane Warne's Spin Secrets Revealed
• 1999: New TV replay policy grants Bradman fans' dream
• 1999: Laws of cricket to go metric
• 2000: Equalisation draft in prospect?
• 2001: Asian Cricket League - More cricket for the sub-continent
• 2001: ICC to introduce red card system?

We assure readers that to the best of our knowledge that the stories below, dated April 1st 2001, are genuine.

• Butcher fits the bill for England
• Hussain dismisses idea of four-day Tests
• Craig McMillan to lead New Zealand in Sharjah
• Govt refuses permission for Sharjah tri-series

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