By Paul Eddison, Sportsbeat
AS a global cricketer, Maia Bouchier has first-hand expertise of simply how a lot local weather change is reworking our planet.
Now the 25-year-old desires to play her half in combating again.
The place some sportspeople pay lip service to sponsor initiatives or campaigns, Bouchier isn’t just alongside for the journey, she is attempting to drive change inside cricket.
Whether or not which means a change to journey plans for abroad excursions, or adjusting the quantity of package delivered to England gamers, the opener has numerous concepts about how the game can evolve for the sake of the planet.
“I’ve grown up with a variety of alternative, my dad and mom have been fairly superb and we bought to journey to a variety of locations,” stated Bouchier, talking as MCC launched its ‘Batting For a Higher Future’ sustainability marketing campaign.
“We discovered the significance of wildlife and pure conservation, we bought to see a variety of cultures. So by way of why I’ve began to talk up about it (local weather change), I noticed the environments impacted. Cricket has been impacted by the atmosphere from what I’ve seen.
“I wished to make folks conscious of what we will do as a neighborhood, as a result of that’s what we’re, to assist the atmosphere.
“There are numerous issues we will do. The large one is knowing there may be a variety of journey concerned and there’s a huge carbon footprint for all of us. As a result of the ladies’s sport is bettering a lot, it’s extra of an influence there. We have to speak about what the perfect methods are of lowering that carbon footprint as a lot as we will.
“We get a variety of package, it’s one thing I’ve chatted to the ECB sustainability supervisor about, what we will do to cut back that. It’s an enormous a part of lowering the carbon footprint and the waste. There’s a lot waste round package
“Issues like gloves and pads and helmets. We go away and go to those nations the place it is rather sizzling. So it’s fascinated about the method after we’ve used our package, how can we reuse it? Or can we discover a approach to scale back the influence on the atmosphere.
“It’s laborious when it’s important to go to Australia, on the lengthy journeys we must be a bit lenient. However in the event you’re travelling six hours to a rustic, the place you can most likely simply go financial system. That’s my opinion, if as a crew, we may be actually cautious and select the appropriate time to go on an financial system flight. I believe that might be superb. It’s one thing I’m going to attempt to encourage however it’s about how we will do it as a crew.”
MCC’s Batting For a Higher Future marketing campaign goals to make use of the Membership’s uniquely unbiased place inside cricket to focus on the challenges that local weather change pose on the game.
Bouchier shall be a part of the England squad that travels to South Africa this week forward of a sequence in opposition to the Proteas, the place she may make her Take a look at debut.
The opener was most not too long ago in motion on the T20 World Cup within the United Arab Emirates, with the hovering temperatures and excessive humidity on one other stage to something she has beforehand skilled.
And with subsequent 12 months’s 50-over World Cup heading to India, Bouchier is aware of that coping with excessive climate circumstances is turning into a part of the job.
She added: “After we go overseas and it’s 45 levels and we have now to play in that warmth. I solely actually skilled that in Dubai, fortuitously it was a superb day for me, I bought a fifty in opposition to Scotland. However that was the most popular I’ve ever performed in.
“It was the center of the day and it’s important to play in pads and full package. Then I take into consideration the lads having to play in Sri Lanka or India, the extreme warmth, you see it in articles in regards to the gamers fainting and go off for warmth stroke.
“I’ve undoubtedly skilled extra of it within the final two years as a result of I’ve been on that worldwide stage.
“A Take a look at debut for me could be unbelievable, I’ve dreamt about that second for a very long time. However that’s one thing we have now to consider with how we put together. We now play 5 days, we used to play 4. The additional day is a profit since you may get extra outcomes, however taking part in in that warmth is a scary thought. We didn’t assume Dubai was going to be that sizzling however it was. We’ve to go and play in India subsequent 12 months within the 50-over World Cup, it does scare me a bit of bit. You all the time need to be within the high health stage however understanding tips on how to mentally go on the market and play in that warmth is one other thought.
“I performed final 12 months in India, I stayed for the Take a look at match final 12 months, I used to be within the squad. I performed within the T20s. That wasn’t that unhealthy, I used to be okay in that warmth, however I didn’t play within the Take a look at match.
“Listening to from the women that you simply come off the sphere and everyone seems to be simply mendacity within the altering room and having to get in an ice bathtub which is minus 5 levels with blocks of ice. The temperature shock is loopy. I believe I’ll solely perceive that when I’ve performed.”
Maia Bouchier was talking on the launch of MCC’s Batting For a Higher Future marketing campaign. For extra data, go to www.lords.org/better-future.
