Cricketers bowled over by the Healthy Hat-Trick

Captains of four of the biggest cricket playing nations in the world-India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh - took time out from the Asia Cup here to commit themselves to playing for a hat-trick of another kind, "cricket's Healthy hat-trick".

At a joint press conference between the Asian Cricket Council and UNICEF, the United Nations Childen's Fund, the message to governments and communities was: invest in a healthy hat-trick - good nutrition, sanitation and girls' education - three critical interventions to save children's lives.

Speaking at an event Sri Lanka cricket captain, Kumar Sangakkara said "Good nutrition for instance - as men we need to make sure mothers eat well and get time to breastfeed; that out children learn correct habits from us, like washing hands with soap after they go to the toilet and before meals. This is our responsibility as fathers and as athletes.

If my mother had not been educated, I would not be here today as Captain of the Sri Lankan team. That is because the right decisions were made to boost the health of the country's children. And even though Sri Lanka has developed well over the past 30-40 years there are still some challenges as UNICEF will tell you - we have to continue to invest in education, nutrition and good a sanitation. That is Cricket's Health hat-trick."