New Zealand cricket officials apologise to West Indies for slogan

Wellington, Nov 21 : Cricket officials in Dunedin have apologised for using the slogan 'It's all white here' to promote a Test match between New Zealand and the visiting West Indies side in the city next month.

The slogan has been dubbed racist and insulting to the visitors, but Otago cricket chief executive Ross Dykes said: "We just wanted a catchy phrase to help sell the game."

"It was all based around the association of the colour with cricket," Dykes was quoted as saying by Otago Daily Times here Friday.

Dykes said that the slogan referred to the white clothes worn by all Test cricketers but then realised that it could be racist.

Dykes said he had sent e-mails to the West Indies team manager and the chief executive of the West Indies Cricket Board to explain the slogan and would be "mortified" if anyone saw it as a racial slur.

"I respect the opinions of others who may well think that it is insensitive," he said. "To those people I apologise."

Former cricket commentator Billy Ibadulla told the paper: "The connection between the phrase and white clothing is stupid at best, and grievous at worst."

A former West Indies and New Zealand cricketer, Sam Guillen, 84, who lives in Christchurch, told The Press newspaper: "I know exactly how the players will feel. The first thing that will go through their mind is it's white against black, which should never come into sport."

--IANS