Designer Simon Carter likes croquet for the pretence it creates!

If you thought croquet was all about mallet and hoops, London-based menswear designer Simon Carter sets the record straight. Carter, who is popularly known as the ‘king of cufflinks’, was in Mumbai recently and spoke about the things he loves— and croquet features prominently.

“It’s a niche sport and people are surprised to hear that you can play internationally,” said Carter.

“What I like about the sport is that it has a veneer of civilisation to it. You have to pretend to be nice to your opponent,” he said with a laugh.

He explains the ‘pretending bit’ rather well too. “If you smash your opponent to the other side of the lawn, you say, ‘Oh! I was a bit lucky there, wasn’t I?’ But secretly, you’re going, “Yeah! I got him!’”

Carter says that he has played with athletes who are in their 20s and those in their late 70s. “Age is no barrier. The young players currently in the England team are complete geniuses,” he says.