Young players unite in support of HIV/AIDS awareness at ICC U/19 CWC

The world's best young cricketers, currently in Sri Lanka for the ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup, are set to unite to show their support for the global fight against HIV and AIDS.

Players from the four teams to have reached the Super League semi-final stage of the tournament - Australia, England, India and Pakistan - will wear red ribbons as a sign of solidarity with the millions of people around the world living with HIV and AIDS.

Their matches, the climax of the showcase event on February 15, 17 and 19, will be televised all over the world and their gesture of wearing the red ribbons will help to ensure the epidemic remains in the forefront of the minds of the millions of people watching the coverage.

There are over 40 million people in the world living with HIV and AIDS and over 12 million of these people reside in the ICC's 10 Full Member countries.

The wearing of red ribbons by the players during the ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup is the latest example of cricket's support for the fight against HIV and AIDS.

In 2003 the ICC became the first global sporting body to enter into a partnership with UNAIDS and since then cricket and cricketers have been credited with playing an important role in helping to reduce the stigma and discrimination attached to the epidemic.

For three successive years players from all over the world have worn red ribbons to mark World AIDS Day and players from Pakistan and India did likewise in April 2004 during their historic Test series, the first between the two sides in Pakistan in more than a decade.

The players from the ICC World XI and Australia teams at last October's Johnnie Walker Super Series had awareness-raising red ribbons integrated into their Test and one-day international playing shirts.

And on World AIDS Day 2004 the captains of the 10 ICC Full Member countries signed up to the Captains Pledge:

"HIV and AIDS is a global issue that cannot be ignored.

"There are over 40 million people around the world living with HIV and AIDS. Almost a third of these live in the ten countries that play Test match cricket.

"HIV and AIDS is everyone's problem and it is the responsibility of us all to do something about it.

"Our commitment is to address this epidemic by raising awareness and education levels in the cricket community.

"We urge young people to protect themselves from HIV and our leaders to pay more attention to the epidemic.

"When we step onto the cricket field we do so as rivals but in the battle against HIV and AIDS we are united. AIDS is a common enemy and we must fight it together."

ICC President Ehsan Mani praised cricket's latest initiative to help "run out" AIDS.

"Young people are not just the future of cricket but they are also the future of the world," he said.

"As such, it is entirely appropriate that the best young cricketers should be seen to draw attention to this shocking epidemic.

"The spirit of cricket demands that we support UNAIDS fight an epidemic that is prevalent in many of the leading cricket countries and the ICC is delighted to play a continuing role in trying to achieve this."

Janet Leno, the country coordinator for UNAIDS in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, said: "The ICC is playing a key role in raising awareness of HIV and AIDS among cricket fans - and youth in particular - around the world. UNAIDS is proud to be a partner of the ICC in this effort."

In the time it takes to play one of the matches in the ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup (seven hours) there will be over 2300 HIV/AIDS related deaths around the world.

In the time it takes to play a Test match (five days) there will be over 41,000 HIV/AIDS related deaths around the world.

Among the four countries with teams in the Super League semi-finals there are an estimated 5,220,000 people living with HIV.

The matches where players will wear the red ribbons are:

15 February - Super League semi-final 1, England v India, R.Premadasa Stadium
17 February - Super League semi-final 2, Australia v Pakistan, R.Premadasa Stadium
19 February - Super League final, R.Premadasa Stadium

All matches are day-night games starting at 2.30pm local time. Admission to all matches is free.

The ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup involves 16 teams from all over the world playing a total of 44 matches in 15 days at venues all around Colombo from 5 - 19 February.

It is the sixth ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup and the tournament is staged every two years.

Pakistan are the defending champions after winning the previous tournament in Bangladesh, in 2004.