Indian ODI Colours

[Nostromo]

I am not sure why the Indian team chose light blue as their team ODI outfits' main colour. OK, there is a bit of blue in the National Flag (the Charak), but that's hardly prominent. What bugs me is the fact that blue is also the colour that England use (though a darker shade) and it is a similarity that we could do without. These days the colour of ODI outfits do not seem to be set in stone (Oz just changed theirs) and I think the Indians should consider doing the same.

In my book, the most appropriate colours to date are New Zealand (all black) and the West Indies (maroon) which fits in with their long tradition. In India's case, even though it lacks such a history, I feel that the most appropriate colour would be brown. No other team has used it so far and it would look quite good.

[vvvrulz]

It doesn't help that all of Kenya, Bangladesh, South Africa, Pakistan and Australia use some form of green as their uniform. You are absolutely right, why not match the flag !?

[Aussie-Yank]

Hmmm... match the countries flag - so how would you work out the difference for England, Australia and New Zealand - there the exact same colours.

[Nostromo]

Originally Posted by Aussie-Yank

Hmmm... match the countries flag - so how would you work out the difference for England, Australia and New Zealand - there the exact same colours.

For a start, since the England team represents England (and not a UK team, even though Glamorgan is allowed), they could go for a variation of St George's colours - a red & white combo. Oz looked distinctive in their 'green & gold' and I am not sure why they changed to all green. NZ have always been all-black and so they're fine. Pakistan seem to be now using a kind of yellowish-green that they used in the 1999 World Cup and distinct enough from the other greens. Perhaps SA should use a bit more of their other national colors in their outfits to distinguish them from Bangladesh.

The Indian flag has no brown in it; of the remaining colours, saffron is a bit too gaudy for a sporting outfit while there are too many greens already. In suggesting brown, I was going by the "Bombay Brownwash" celebrations years ago when India whitewashed England 3-0 in a test series. Brown could become an 'Indian' colur the same way as non-flag colours black (NZ) and maroon (WI) have acquired a tradition.

[Occasional Fan]

What about everyone playing in white? And, since all the games in the world cup are daylight games, how about a red ball? Too revolutionary, perhaps?

[Nostromo]

Originally Posted by Occasional Fan

What about everyone playing in white? And, since all the games in the world cup are daylight games, how about a red ball? Too revolutionary, perhaps?

You have a point, but I guess the colours have sorta grown on us over the years. I hated the idea when it was first introduced (was it in the late 80s?), but have got used to the colours now enough to like them. Moreover, the colous match the casual atmosphere of the ODIs while the all-whites of Test cricket give the appropriately 'serious business' look.

[Occasional Fan]

I don't much care about the colours these days - but I do worry that it is only a matter of time before teams start changing their strips every season - or more - in order to boost rip-off sales of replicas to the more gullible fans. It's already a huge business for football clubs, and it will become one for cricket clubs as well - and I'm not sure the game needs it.

When did it all start? Can't remember which year exactly, but it was probably mid-70s when World Series Cricket was launched by Kerry Packer. At the time, the cricketing world held its hands up in horror, but in fact Packer pretty much gave the world ODI cricket as a major sport, and no-one can doubt its commercial worth nowadays, nor the fact that it still provides many young folk with their introduction to the game. I wouldn't have said it in the 70s, but I don't mind saying it now: thanks, and well done Mr Packer.

[Karthik]

Well,the Indian flag doesn't have that much of blue in it,but I personally like the colour.You can look at that uniform and the top of this forum.There's a picture of Sachin Tendulkar wearing it.

[Nostromo]

Originally Posted by Karthik

Well,the Indian flag doesn't have that much of blue in it,but I personally like the colour.You can look at that uniform and the top of this forum.There's a picture of Sachin Tendulkar wearing it.

Sachin Tendulkar is wearing blue simply because that it happens to be the current colour of the Indian strip and for no other reason. I have nothing against the blue except for its close resemblance to England's team colour; as I said before, that is a similarity that we can do without. I believe that the Indian colour should be more distinctive and I felt brown was appropriate because no other team is currently using it and it fits in with the 'brownwash' bit.