NAPIER, April 8: New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming has asked umpires to remove their black trousers so batsmen can better sight the ball from Sri Lanka’s fiesty slinger Lasith Malinga when the second Test starts in Wellington on Monday.

The 21-year-old terrorised the New Zealanders in the first Test, which ended in a draw here Friday, taking a career-best five for 80 in New Zealand’s second innings and a match haul of nine for 210.

Fleming said Malinga’s sidewinder action, where the ball is delivered from in front of the umpire, made the ball sometimes impossible to pick up with the backdrop of black trousers.

“We can’t see him. When it’s a bit overcast and late in the evening, you saw last night when Hamish (Marshall) who’s in great form, just couldn’t see the ball,” Fleming said.

“We asked the umpires to change the colour of their trousers, there’s a period there when he’s delivering when it gets lost in the trousers.”

Seven of Malinga’s nine wickets were either bowled or lbw.

The trouble began on day one when umpires Steve Bucknor and Darrell Hair were asked to remove their dark ties which were a similar colour to the ball.

On Friday, the final day of the first Test, Fleming requested Bucknor tie a white jersey around his waist as a mini sightscreen.

“I’m not sure if the rules are but we’ve asked if they can change (to light coloured trousers). It’s a factor, hence putting the sweater in front of the trousers.”—AFP