Johannesburg, April 21: The secret of why South African Albie Morkel failed to appear on the field for Chennai Super Kings at the inaugural match of the Indian Premier League against Mumbai Indians in Cape Town Saturday is finally out.

Morkel, who helped his side beat Bangalore Royal Challengers in Port Elizabeth on Monday evening by trapping countryman Jacques Kallis leg before, could not play on Saturday for a lack of shoes. Morkel had to withdraw from the side at the last minute because his baggage had disappeared without trace and he could not find shoes of the right size with any of his teammates, the Afrikaans weekly Rapport said. Morkel and his Super Kings teammate Makhaya Ntini had to catch a flight from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town after playing in the final ODI. But on arrival at Cape Town Airport, there was no sign of Morkel’s bag with all his cricket equipment in it. "It was very frustrating as I was keen to make my mark early in the tournament, especially after being satisfied with my batting in the one-day series against Australia," Morkel said.

Just a few days earlier, Morne Morkel had to borrow a pair from Ntini after his bag went to Cape Town instead of the Wanderers in Johannesburg, where he was playing.

IPL warns KP

Bangalore Royal Challengers skipper Kevin Pietersen has been warned by the Indian Premier League for showing dissent over an umpiring decision during his side’s humiliating 92-run loss at the hands of Chennai Super Kings on Monday. Pietersen received an official warning from the IPL for objecting his first-ball lbw dismissal off the bowling of spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan. Although Pietersen escaped the charge, match referee Gundappa Viswanath found the 28-year-old England batsman guilty of a level-one offence after he showed his displeasure at umpire Simon Taufel’s decision.

— Agencies