London, Nov 29: Cricket teams playing international cricket on or around December 01, observed as World AIDS Day, have committed to wearing red ribbons as a sign of support for the millions of people around the globe living with HIV and AIDS, according to the ICC.
Zimbabwe, West Indies, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and England will be the teams supporting the initiative, the international cricket council said in a statement issued here.
While Zimbabwe play West Indies in a one-day international match tomorrow, Pakistan take on the Kiwis in another one-dayer on December 01 and Sri Lanka host England in the first Test beginning the following day.
The ICC entered into a strategic alliance with the joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) this September to take up the fight against HIV/AIDS in cricket-playing countries.
''The threats of HIV/AIDS in many of the countries in which cricket is played is acute and it is in keeping with the spirit of cricket that the ICC exercises this social responsibility,'' the statement quoted ICC President Ehsan Mani as saying.
Of the estimated 40 million people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide, over 12 million live in cricket-playing countries, with India and South Africa lone accounting for about nine million affected people.
Bureau Report