JAIPUR, Oct 15: England and Indian cricketers joined millions of people to back the United Nations ‘Millennium Stand Up Campaign’ against poverty before the start of their Champions Trophy match on Sunday.

Players, match officials and thousands of spectators at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium here stood up before the Group ‘A’ match to support the campaign.

The campaign has the backing of India skipper Rahul Dravid, batting star Sachin Tendulkar, film star Aamir Khan and musician A.R. Rahman.

“The International Cricket Council (ICC) is stepping up to the crease in a wonderful way,” UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a statement.

“It is going in to bat for a set of simple, powerful and people-centred objectives that every man and woman in the street can easily support and understand.”

The campaign will see people across the world stand up against poverty during a 24-hour period on Sunday and Monday, according to an ICC press release.

Organisers hope to set a world record for the maximum number of people to stand up against poverty within this time frame.

“Our support of the campaign provides us with an important opportunity to draw attention to the need to address this and broader poverty issues,” said ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed.

Tendulkar urged his countrymen to spare a minute from their busy schedule and observe the Stand Up campaign.

“I am going to do that and I hope everyone will join me in it,” he said.—AFP