Future Innings
Cricket — perhaps the ground sport most affected by weather conditions and consequently climate change — is in danger of muddying its legacy due to a capitalistic 21st-century avatar, which poses a threat to environmental stability. We talk to four insiders who are championing sustainable practices to ensure a clean game…
In September 2017, Hurricanes Irma and Maria ravaged through the Caribbean, destroying cricket grounds (besides much else) on the islands of Anguilla and Dominica. In December that same year, air pollution interrupted play during a test match between India and Sri Lanka in New Delhi. In January 2018, there were calls for Cricket Australia to introduce a heatwave policy after ground temperatures at the Sydney Cricket Ground peaked at 57 degrees Celsius, forcing the visiting England captain into hospital due to dehydration. In February 2018, all school and club cricket in South Africa’s Cape Town were cancelled thanks to a drought.
According to The Gamechanger report by the Climate Coalition, a UK-based group dedicated to action against climate change, “Of all the major pitch sports, cricket will be hardest hit by climate change”. It is not hard to see why; cricket is an outdoor, seasonal sport, played on grass. One of its defining characteristics is the pitch, with each venue offering different soil compositions. The pitch and the area’s climate are joined at the hip; a sudden cloudburst could mean that the ball swings more for a bit, and dry summers mean turning pitches. Yet, globally, the game leaves giant-sized carbon footprints as it expands in scope and shape. The stadiums generate heaps of garbage that fill up landfills. Matches are played with wood and leather, on grass and ground, and a few individuals and teams have realised that and are doing what they can to give back.
At the links below, read how these cricket insiders are promoting sustainable practices in the game.
Russell Seymour, Sustainability Manager, Lord’s Cricket Ground
Juhi Chawla, Co-owner, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
Tanya Aldred, Freelance Journalist
Sanjeev Churiwala, Chairman, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)