Cricket Fiji launch new uniform

Cricket Fiji today presented the national side with their new playing
kits and caps at an official ceremony at Albert Park.

The uniforms and caps will be worn by the side which departs on
Saturday for the East Asia Pacific Division 1 tournament in PNG next
week.

The caps have special significance as each is numbered with the order
in which each player first made their debut for Fiji in an
international match.

Cricket Fiji chief executive Jon Symonds said this was something that
many of the top test-playing nations do to honour those who have
represented their
country including teams like Australia and England.

"It is important to recognise the history of cricket and those men who
have worn the blue for Fiji in recognised international status
cricket," Symonds said.

"It honours them for having played for their country and the role they
played in the history of the game.

"By giving each person a unique number it goes some way to recognising
that honour of playing international status cricket for your country."

Fiji has previously changed its uniform very frequently, but Symonds
said this new design was going to become an icon of the national team
for at least the next three years.

"Fiji changes its shirt for every tournament, but this is out of sync
with the rest of the cricket playing nations. The shirt should be a
recognisable commodity that when seen everyone associates it with the
Fijian national cricket team," Symonds said.

"We tried to put some of Fiji's heritage into the shirt and of course
when you talk Fiji to the world they always associate it with palm
trees and hence we added them into the shirt in a way similar to the
protea of South Africa, the three lions of England and the fern of New
Zealand."

The Fiji national team departs on Saturday for their first
international tour of the year.

They will also take part in the South Pacific games and the World
Cricket League Division 6 in Malaysia in September.

For further media enquiries or to arrange interviews please contact
Communications Officer Grace Uhr on 330 4711 or 767 1525.