Pakistan and India unite to highlight tolerance and awareness of HIV and AIDS issues

Monday's final of the ICC World Twenty20 South Africa 2007 will see hundreds of millions of people following all the action as India and Pakistan battle to become champions in the inaugural staging of the event.

But aside from the hoped-for runs, wickets, fours and sixes that have been a hallmark of the tournament, the players from both sides will also be seeking to draw attention to some other statistics that are far less palatable.

Because during the three hours it should take to play the match at The Wanderers in Johannesburg around 1500 people around the world will become infected by HIV and AIDS.

That equates to an average of 500 new cases every hour and it means that in the time it has taken to hold the 12-team event another 168,000 people have joined the ever-growing list of those suffering from the disease.

There is no doubt these are sobering statistics and it is something players, officials and administrators have sought to highlight through the ICC's ongoing support for UNAIDS and UNICEF and, during this event, loveLife, South Africa's national HIV prevention program for youth, and the Africa Broadcast Media Partnership Against HIV/AIDS.

Players and officials during the final are once again wearing red ribbons, the universal symbol that highlights the issues of HIV and AIDS awareness and tolerance, and something that has been a common sight during the previous 26 matches played at three venues in South Africa.

That action goes hand-in-hand with the ICC providing free advertising space at each of the host venues - Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg - with boundary boards displaying the message "Unite for children, Unite against AIDS."

The hope is that by raising awareness it will encourage people - and especially youngsters, who view the players on show in South Africa as role models - to find out more about the issues involved.

The ICC World Twenty20 tournament marks the fourth anniversary of the ICC's involvement with UNAIDS and, since becoming the first international sporting body to support the agency in September 2003, it has implemented numerous awareness-raising initiatives to drive the level of understanding and education about HIV/AIDS.

Over the past year the ICC has also joined forces with UNICEF, with players recording Public Service Announcements (PSAs) in English and their native languages.

And ahead of ICC World Twenty20 South Africa 2007, UNAIDS and loveLife provided education sessions on HIV and AIDS for all 500 volunteers working at the event during the volunteer training days.

Commenting on the ICC's commitment to raising awareness on these issues, Chief Executive Officer Malcolm Speed said: "Cricket is a game of facts and figures and the facts and figures surrounding HIV and AIDS are truly startling.

"Among the ICC's ten Full Members there are roughly ten million people infected and, on top of that number, there are many, many more people affected by that situation, often children.

"What we are continuing to seek to achieve through our partnership with UNAIDS and UNICEF is to use the high profile that our great game and its players enjoy to promote tolerance and awareness about this terrible illness.

"If we can do that and also promote education on the issue then cricket will be playing a part in helping to curb the spread of HIV and AIDS."

The players and officials taking part in the tournament have certainly done their best to highlight the subject thanks to a range of measures.

Aside from donning red ribbons for selected games - with some retaining them on their uniforms throughout the tournament - a total of 46 players recorded new PSAs before the first ball was bowled on 11 September.

And during the fortnight of the event players and officials made numerous visits to interact with both UNICEF and loveLife projects around the three centres where the tournament has been held.

Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara took his involvement to another level when, after visiting a primary school located in Tembisa, Johannesburg with team mates, he invited the children to attend his side's match against Kenya.

The children saw Sri Lanka rack up the highest total in the history of T20Is, 260-6, and secure a 172-run win.

Sangakkara is a player who has been vocal in his support of the campaign.

"I hope people will listen to cricketers, I hope that our support helps and that it brings a different perspective to building interest in these issues and raising awareness," he said.

"It's important to raise awareness any way that you can and if different voices and fresh faces help then that is good."

Australia batsman Michael Hussey commented: "When I visited an education project in the Caribbean during the ICC Cricket World Cup, I saw for myself the importance of educating young people on HIV and AIDS.

"UNICEF and UNAIDS play a vital role in addressing this epidemic and by supporting this partnership, by meeting young people and raising awareness of HIV and AIDS, I hope I can personally play a part in reducing discrimination."

Neil McCullum, the Scotland batsman, said: "At the ICC World Cricket League event earlier in the year in Kenya, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to visit a project that UNICEF supports in Nairobi.

"Although I was obviously delighted that we managed to qualify for the ICC World Twenty20 at the event, the highlight of the whole trip was visiting an amazing school, and having the opportunity to meet so many enthusiastic young people, who were at risk of HIV, whose lives have been touched by the work of non-governmental organisations such as UNICEF.

"It was a very humbling experience for me to learn about the work that charities like UNICEF do, and hopefully by working alongside some of the world's leading players at this event then Scotland has been able to play an important role in highlighting that children are the missing face of AIDS."

West Indies captain Ramnaresh Sarwan added his voice to the chorus when he remarked: "I am aware that HIV and AIDS is a serious problem in Africa, as it is in other parts of the world including the Caribbean.

"By uniting together across the cricketing world, I hope we can play a role in improving the lives of young people."

Representatives from UNICEF and UNAIDS have expressed satisfaction at the role cricket is playing in highlighting the issues of children, HIV and AIDS.

UNICEF South Africa Country Representative, Macharia Kamau, said: "Our involvement with the ICC World Twenty20 (South Africa) 2007 has helped us spread the word that children's involvement in sports like cricket can be an effective measure to deter their engagement in the kind of risky behaviour that can lead to HIV infection.

"The opportunity given to South African children to meet up close, sports heroes like Proteas captain Graeme Smith, Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara and other stars and ICC officials, will no doubt create a lasting impression on these young minds.

Kate Thomson, Senior Partnership Adviser, UNAIDS, said: "We appreciate the great platform the ICC has given to us to convey the message that keeping the next generation HIV free is of the utmost importance.

"The partnership with the ICC around the ICC World Twenty20 South Africa 2007 has proven to be very successful. The tournament provides an excellent platform to raise awareness on HIV and to involve players as excellent role models.

"UNAIDS hopes to continue the partnership in the future," she added.