The West Indies team took time out from its preparation for yesterday’s vital ICC Cricket World Cup match against Ireland to show its support for the Think Wise campaign, according to an ICC release.

The release said that the players met 10 adults who are living with HIV at training on Wednesday, to understand what it means to be living with the disease and to broaden their understanding of the issues, such as stigma and discrimination, facing these people.

Ramnaresh Sarwan, an Ambassador for the Think Wise campaign, a partnership between the ICC, UNAIDS and UNICEF, believes society must better understand what it means to be affected by HIV.

“It was interesting to have the opportunity to meet people living with HIV and understand some of the issues that they face on a day-to-day basis,”  Sarwan said, according to the ICC.

“What came very clear to me during the interaction was that people affected by the disease are no different to anybody else and that they must not be discriminated against.”

West Indies skipper Darren Sammy believes that the Think Wise partnership is well placed to impact on attitudes towards HIV.

“The West Indies team, through the Think Wise partnership, have always tried to support HIV awareness. Cricketers are well known for wearing the red ribbons on our playing shirts at matches at ICC events as a show of support for people living with HIV. To be able to meet people living with HIV and understand the discrimination they face in day-to-day life was very moving,” added Sammy.

The campaign encourages young people to be informed, take appropriate action to prevent HIV infection, and stand together against the stigma and discrimination often facing people living with HIV.