CRICKET
Whenever there is an International match, cricketers are often seen with kids during the National anthem.
They are commonly referred to as Player Escorts or Mascots.
This has been a tradition in most major competitions, beginning with Football in the mid-1990s.
Previously, these children served as mascots to generate publicity for humanitarian organizations.
This custom began in football and was then transferred over to cricket.
The goal was to give a more humanitarian touch to athletics, as people began to believe that sports were mainly for inebriated and unruly people.