Otago clarifies 'racy' cricket slogan

DUNEDIN, New Zealand (CMC):

OPTAGO CRICKET chief executive Ross Dykes has contacted officials of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to explain a racy slogan being used to promote the first Test between New Zealand and West Indies in the city next month.

Dykes has emailed West Indies team manager, Omar Khan, and Donald Peters, chief executive officer of the WICB, to make clear that no racial slur is intended by the slogan 'It's all white here!'

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

Dykes added that he would be "mortified" if anyone interpreted the slogan as a racial slur, and noted the intention was to engender the same sort of enthusiasm the city had when it embraced the All Blacks-Springboks rugby Test in July this year.

"We just wanted a catchy phrase to help sell the game," he said. "It was all based around the association of the colour with cricket."

The promotion is supposed to mirror the 'Black-out' concept which encouraged All Blacks fans to dress in black to support the national rugby team.

Posters with a 'White-out' theme were to start appearing in the city yesterday to encourage people to wear white to the Test from December 11 to 15, and entice businesses to decorate their stores.

Several people, including former cricket presenter Billy Ibadulla, believes the idea was "ill-conceived".

"This slogan is going to be printed worldwide and it is not going to reflect very fondly on Dunedin," he said. "The connection between the phrase and white clothing is stupid at best, and grievous at worst."

The West Indies visit New Zealand for a series of two Tests, five one-day internationals and two Twenty20 internationals next month.