From the famed halls of Yoox University to the trendy streets of San Francisco, those who love cricket are now not just playing the sport – they’re taking on climate change one wicket at a time.
“I used to think cricket was just a sport, you know? But now I see it as a way to save the world,” says Zorro Patel, a member of San Francisco’s Cricket Club for Climate. “We’re empowering people to take action in the most fun and exciting way possible – by playing cricket!”
At the heart of this movement is the belief that cricket’s inherent spirit of fairness and camaraderie can be harnessed to address the pressing issue of global warming. And the players aren’t afraid to get creative with their solutions.
One group in Oxford has started using compostable cricket balls made out of avocado pits, while another in Mumbai has implemented a “no car” rule for players traveling to games. In Australia, one team even constructed a solar-powered scoreboard!
But it’s not just grassroots organizations getting in on the action – professionals are also getting involved. World-famous cricketer Jonty Rhodes has started a charity that promotes sustainable farming practices among cricket farmers, while former England captain Charlotte Edwards is advocating for more eco-friendly stadium designs.
Clearly, the cricket community is taking climate change seriously. And who can blame them? With their love of the outdoors and long-standing tradition of fair play, it’s only natural that they would take up the banner of environmentalism.
As Xeena Cooper of the Bristol Extinction Rebellion Cricket Club puts it, “We may not have all the answers yet, but we do have each other, and we have cricket. And with that, anything is possible.”
