I’d never heard of Akshay Kumar before the week started but according to google he’s a big deal and the Bollywood circus at Trent Bridge this week serves to confirm that he’s hero-worshipped in India.

Dirk was sharing a dressing room with Andrew Symonds who’s been here all week, Nasser and Gower were next door and several other familiar faces have been wandering the corridors or more accurately, sitting in a quiet corner bored senseless waiting endlessly for their scene.

A few quid in the coffers and the prospect of having our ground projected around the world was enough to persuade Head Groundsman Steve Birks to let Akshay and Co on to the turf to film the climax of ‘Patiala House,’ the latest venture from director Nikhil Advani.

We let the media in yesterday and in searching for Dirk Nannes who has bagged himself a role, I got a sense of the amount of money being spent to ensure the authenticity of the cricket scenes.

"One of the perks has been the presence of six cheerleaders sunbathing in front of the office who have proved to be a very positive distraction for me."

The whispers are that hiring an international cricketer to wait around for four hours, film a 30 second scene, waiting around for two more hours and film a 15 second scene is about $10,000. With this in mind, spare a thought for Notts bowler Andy Carter who stepped in to play an uncredited Australian fielder for a bit of pocket money.

Our role has been to sit on the sidelines waiting for odd requests, shepherd people away from the prized Test wicket and to keep an eye on Dirk’s two kids who will look back on years to come oblivious to their rock n roll lifestyle that has taken in the IPL, World Twenty20 and Bollywood in three months.

One of the perks has been the presence of six cheerleaders sunbathing in front of the office who have proved to be a very positive distraction for me.

In the final cut, to be premiered in Mumbai in November, you will see a packed Trent Bridge hosting the World Twenty20 final between England and Australia. This effect has been generated by shipping in 100 local extras who have been filmed sitting in every block of seating cheering with gradually less enthusiasm throughout the ten hour day.

So keep an eye out for Dirk’s movie debut and in the mean time, get your tickets for his Trent Bridge debut against Derbyshire in next Friday’s Friends Provident t20 match at Trent Bridge.