Why Cricketers Wear White Jerseys in Test? History and Reason Explained

Cricket - The Gentleman's game!

A game that started in the elite class, initially, the sport was restricted to the higher echelons of society. While that has changed enormously now, some of the traditions managed to be relevant. One of them is donning a white jersey in Tests. The players, back then, as a symbol of 'purity' or 'being a gentleman', used a white uniform for the game. Not just in Tests, but the benchmark carried on for the other formats, as well, until it was revised recently.

Of course, this tradition also took some time to become a standard. When the game started, players used their daily wear to play the game. It is only after the game achieved a certain significance and context that the white jersey became mandatory. But why only a white jersey? Why not a black one or any other hue?

Comfort of a player

There are two reasons why a white jersey became the standard for Test cricket. As we all know, Test cricket is a format that is played over five days during the day. Players have to deal with the heat of the day, and doing so for close to nine hours can be a daunting task. Science lets us know that the colour white reflects heat. This concept was used by the initial rulemakers to ensure that a cricketer always dons a white jersey. Hence, players could focus on the game and their best bet to remain at their best through the day was by wearing a white coloured fabric.

One more factor forced the cricketers to pick a white jersey. Back in the day, when the technology was not so refined, in the cloth market, the easiest colour available was that of white or cream. Hence, it was a no-brainer that a white-coloured jersey was chosen for the task.

The Red Ball Phenomenon

Do you know why the traffic indication to stop your automobile is red? Referring to science, again, this is because the colour red travels the farthest. Hence, even if you are at a distance, red is visible to you, and hence, you could make your conclusion accordingly. It is for this straightforward reason that a red ball is used in cricket. A batter or a fielder can make a sounder judgment because the ball occurs more unmistakably to him.

When a red ball is being used, you need to guarantee that the colour on a player's jersey does not interact with the visibility of a batter. Therefore, the white colour of the jersey was an obvious choice. With no other hue interfering with a player's vision, he or she could focus more on the challenge with the peak of his or her skills. The same logic applies to the colour of the sight screen in Tests.

Now, where does the pink ball come into the picture?

For many years, Test cricket has been in existence, and it was played during the day. The commercial essences that the game can have, naturally, the stakeholders wanted to supply this epic format at other times of the day. Fans like to see different aspects of the game they love. Hence, a Test match being played under lights was a fascination for them. The stakeholders also saw merit in the same.

That's where a day-night Test match became a demand! Under floodlights, the red balls were problematic to read. The character of the game would have been a miss if different coloured cherries were used for the night part of the game. Hence, those at the top experimented and came up with the pink ball alternative. Before this, other colours such as yellow and orange were also tried. Both during the day and the night of the game, pink balls were easier to detect. It was also not a deterrent to the white jerseys in Tests, which makes a very big part of the format's history. Hence, a pink ball started being used.

A sponsor's dilemma!

In the past, a Test cricket jersey was purely white. However, since 2019, a white Test cricket jersey has more than just the colour. There are sponsorship logos and also the names of the players on the back of the shirt. There was a reason why both of them came into existence.

ICC deemed the importance of the viewing experience of the game and hence, determined that having the names of the players on the back of jerseys in Tests will help fans identify players and engage better with the game. Of course, this was always prevalent in the other formats of the game. During the COVID-19 pandemic, boards were forced to have more sponsorships for their teams, and hence, the other logos were introduced on the white jerseys.

The importance of whites in the Test cricket legacy

White jerseys in Test cricket are now more of a historic affiliation with the game. New technologies could make coloured jerseys viable for the five-day format. However, it is highly unlikely that a white cricket jersey will ever be discontinued.

Be it the Baggy Green, Baggy Blue or the suits for a skipper at the toss, all these minor elements, which add so much weight to the game, have been assembled around the existence of a white jersey. With so much history for the format and the game with players in a white coloured jersey, the colour of the uniform also holds a symbolic value.

The role of whites in the game's identity

Football happens to be the most popular sport on the globe. While cricket has a strong presence in various nations, it is yet to reach the level where it can compete with football. However, there is potential for the game to further expand and find new markets.

In this regard, having a defined identity is very useful. Cricket comes in different formats, and for a new fan, it could be hard to follow. Eventually, the interest subsides. Here is where the iconic whites in Tests can be used to market the game. While T20's are the shortcut to gaining new followers, Test cricket will be the answer to keeping hold of these fans.