Wellington: Embarrassed cricket bosses in the southern New Zealand city of Dunedin have apologised for promoting a Test against the West Indies with the slogan, "It's all white here."

The West Indies are due to play a Test against New Zealand in Dunedin next month and the regional Otago Cricket Association came up with the slogan in reference to the colour of the players' uniforms.

"We just wanted a catchy phrase to help sell the game. It was all based around the association of the colour with cricket," the association's chief executive Ross Dykes was quoted as saying by the Otago Daily Times newspaper Friday.

Dykes said he had contacted the West Indies team manager and the West Indies Cricket Board to explain the slogan, adding he would be "mortified" if anyone interpreted it as a racial slur.

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

Former West Indies and New Zealand Test player Sam Guillen, 84, told the Press newspaper the promotion was "a ridiculous idea."

"I know exactly how the (West Indies) players will feel," he said.

"The first thing that will go through their mind is it's white against black, which should never come into sport."