By Paul Eddison, Sportsbeat
AS a world 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 preventing again.
The place some sportspeople pay lip service to sponsor initiatives or campaigns, Bouchier isn’t just alongside for the experience, 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 equipment delivered to England gamers, the opener has plenty of concepts about how the game can evolve for the sake of the planet.
“I’ve grown up with plenty of alternative, my dad and mom have been fairly superb and we bought to journey to plenty of locations,” mentioned 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 plenty 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 surroundings from what I’ve seen.
“I needed to make individuals conscious of what we are able to do as a neighborhood, as a result of that’s what we’re, to assist the surroundings.
“There are numerous issues we are able to do. The large one is knowing there may be plenty of journey concerned and there’s a large carbon footprint for all of us. As a result of the ladies’s recreation is bettering a lot, it’s extra of an influence there. We have to speak about what the most effective methods are of lowering that carbon footprint as a lot as we are able to.
“We get plenty of equipment, it’s one thing I’ve chatted to the ECB sustainability supervisor about, what we are able to do to scale back that. It’s a large a part of decreasing the carbon footprint and the waste. There may be a lot waste round equipment
“Issues like gloves and pads and helmets. We go away and go to those international locations the place it is rather sizzling. So it’s serious about the method after we’ve used our equipment, how will we reuse it? Or can we discover a technique to scale back the influence on the surroundings.
“It’s exhausting when it’s important to go to Australia, on the lengthy journeys we should be a bit lenient. However if you happen to’re travelling six hours to a rustic, the place you could possibly most likely simply go financial system. That’s my opinion, if as a group, we could be actually cautious and select the proper time to go on an financial system flight. I feel that might be superb. It’s one thing I’m going to attempt to encourage but it surely’s about how we are able to do it as a group.”
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 might be a part of the England squad that travels to South Africa this week forward of a collection in opposition to the Proteas, the place she might make her Check 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 degree 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 changing into a part of the job.
She added: “After we go overseas and it’s 45 levels and we’ve got 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 well liked I’ve ever performed in.
“It was the center of the day and it’s important to play in pads and full equipment. 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 Check debut for me could be unbelievable, I’ve dreamt about that second for a very long time. However that’s one thing we’ve got 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 might get extra outcomes, however enjoying in that warmth is a scary thought. We didn’t suppose Dubai was going to be that sizzling but it surely was. We’ve to go and play in India subsequent 12 months within the 50-over World Cup, it does scare me a bit bit. You at all times wish to be within the prime health degree however realizing how you can 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 Check 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 Check match.
“Listening to from the ladies that you just come off the sphere and everyone seems to be simply mendacity within the altering room and having to get in an ice tub which is minus 5 levels with blocks of ice. The temperature shock is loopy. I feel I’ll solely perceive that after I’ve performed.”
Maia Bouchier was talking on the launch of MCC’s Batting For a Higher Future marketing campaign. For extra info, go to www.lords.org/better-future.