Cricket South Africa (CSA) has teamed up with Italian sportswear brand Lotto to unveil new jerseys for the men’s Proteas team as they gear up for the upcoming ICC World Cup in India.
The jerseys were unveiled on the Proteas’ social media accounts on Tuesday, September 5. This is the first kit manufactured under a new deal with technical sponsor Lotto; South Africa’s kits were previously made by British sportswear company Castore.
The front and back of the jersey are both solid green, with the national team crest on the left chest and a yellow Lotto logo on the right chest. “SOUTH AFRICA” is spelled out in a yellow stylized font across the midsection, and names and numbers are printed in the same yellow font on the back. The polo collar has two yellow stripes around the outside and a yellow inner placket.
The sleeves of the jersey have a tonal pattern of lines of varying widths going in different directions. The sleeve cuffs are solid yellow.
“This is a historic moment for Lotto Sport internationally,” Lotto Sport South Africa chief executive Yusuf Dockrat is quoted as saying by Sports Pro Media. “Being a traditionally football and tennis brand, what better way to spearhead a footprint into global cricket than with the sponsorship of the Proteas men and women’s teams. We are extremely excited for what the future holds for South African cricket and Lotto Sport South Africa.”
“CSA is pleased to partner with Lotto Sport South Africa, a brand that has proven to be passionate about sport. Their designer kits will position our various properties as progressive, thus bringing traction to the game,” added CSA chief executive officer Pholetsi Moseki. “This augurs well with CSA’s vision to make cricket the number one sport of choice in South Africa, a commitment to be enhanced through our association with this global company. I welcome Lotto Sport South Africa to the cricket family and look forward to a mutually beneficial partnership.”
Along with the jersey unveiling, the Proteas unveiled the 15-man squad who will travel to India for the World Cup. You can see their full roster here.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) currently ranks South Africa as the world’s number six team in the one-day international (ODI) format, under which the upcoming World Cup will be contested. South Africa has reached the semifinals of the World Cup four times (1992, 1999, 2007, 2015) but has never progressed further than that.
In ODI cricket, each team has 50 overs of six balls each to score the most runs possible without losing all 10 of its wickets.
The Proteas’ World Cup preparations continue with five ODI matches against Australia scheduled between September 7 and 17. Their first World Cup match is against Sri Lanka on October 7 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, India.
