KEY POINTS:
Otago Cricket has stopped its controversial "It's all white here" marketing campaign to promote the first cricket test between New Zealand and the West Indies beginning on December 1 at Dunedin. The slogan, which drew fire from the West Indies Players Association, was intended as a variation on a promotion of a few years ago in which New Zealand fans were encouraged to "black out" in support of the Black Caps.
"The campaign has been clearly deemed by a number of people to be offensive, which we seriously regret. We will not proceed with it," 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 [test] cricket," he added.
New Zealand Cricket cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan said NZC was contacting the West Indies Board to express regret over the controversy. It was unfortunate that concerns over the Otago Cricket Association's "white out" campaign had overshadowed preparation for the upcoming tour, he added.
- NZPA
