Players look to uphold Spirit of Cricket

While the sixteen teams taking part in the event will all be looking to win as many matches as they can, all those competing will share a wider responsibility to the sport which has brought them together.

In particular, they will be aware that they will need to uphold and promote the Spirit of Cricket, an ethos on how the game should be played and viewed both on and off the field.

The Spirit of Cricket, enshrined through the Laws of the Game, was defined as part of the ICC's Strategic Plan 2006-10. This definition includes:

Cricket enjoys a unique mix of attributes in international sport. It is underpinned by rich traditions and high values; it is played under a guiding principle of respect; it evokes passion, commitment and excitement; it is truly multi-cultural, it stands proudly on the world's sporting stage, it is a sociable game that forges deep long-lasting friendships; it is a team sport that combines skill, strategy, endeavour and athleticism; above all it is a game that means many different things to many different people and provides endless joy to those that it touches.

South Africa's Shaun Pollock, who has been an active supporter of the campaign, argues: "I think it's possible to play even the most competitive game in the right spirit. You should put everything you can into winning, but it's also important to play in the right way."

As part of cricket's social responsibility, the ICC is committed to using major events, such as the ICC Cricket World Cup, the ICC World Twenty20 and the ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup, as a platform to raise the awareness of issues such as HIV and AIDS as well as the wider aims of the Spirit of Cricket.

At this event, players will wear red ribbons in select matches as a show of support to people living with HIV, as part of a wider campaign to raise awareness and reduce stigma around HIV/AIDS.

And a number of teams will visit local community projects in Malaysia as part of a commitment to showing how international cricketers can act as positive role models for young people.

A number of leading international cricketers, along with Shaun Pollock, including Brett Lee (Australia), Tamim Iqbal (Bangladesh) and Jehan Mubarak (Sri Lanka), have all offered their support to promoting the Spirit of Cricket.

Tamim Iqbal, who appeared for Bangladesh at the ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup, said: "Ever since I started playing cricket I have been made aware of the nobleness of this game and how important it is to play it in the right spirit. The Spirit of Cricket is not about the game only, it is about the beauty of life and players must remember that and believe in that."