Cricket: Cairns' number to be honoured

The Chicago Bulls did it for legendary basketballer Michael Jordan in 1994, now New Zealand Cricket could retire the shirt number of one of its most popular players.

Chris Cairns' No 6 shirt could be permanently spelled since he announced his retirement from one-day cricket in January and bowed out in a Twenty20 match against West Indies on February 16. Black Caps manager Lindsay Crocker said senior players had raised the suggestion, and team management thought it was a good idea.

Shirt numbers were introduced around the 1997-98 season.