ISLAMABAD: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees partnered with Peshawar Zalmi on Friday to promote the refugee cause through cricket in Pakistan.

“Peshawar Zalmi is the only PSL franchise that will wear the UNHCR logo on jersey to support millions of refugees that Pakistan has hosted for decades. We, as ambassadors of humanity, will back our refugee brothers along with UNHCR Pakistan and stand by their side,” Javed Afridi, chairman of the squad, said after the announcement.

Peshawar Zalmi is the leading franchise of Pakistan Super League (PSL) that was first held in 2015. According to the UNHCR, Pakistan continues to host 1.39 million Afghan refugees since 1979.

As part of the partnership, Zalmi and the UN refugee agency will work together to highlight refugee issues during one of the most popular cricketing contests – PSL 5 – starting next Thursday

The Peshawar Zalmi chairman presented the official jersey of his team to UNHCR Director for Asia and the Pacific Indrika Ratwatte in Islamabad.

“War, conflict and persecution forces millions of people to become refugees worldwide,” said Afridi. “We are happy that Peshawar Zalmi and UNHCR will jointly partner to run an awareness campaign during the Pakistan Super League.”

Ratwatte acknowledged Zalmi’s support for the refugee cause.

“Javed [Afridi] is already playing a major role as UNHCR Pakistan’s refugee youth ambassador and by putting our logo on his team’s jersey in a national cricket tournament like the PSL. We wish good luck to Peshawar Zalmi for PSL Season Five,” he said.