Effect of climate change on cricket a major concern, says Ian Chappell

Former Australia cricketer Ian Chappell believes that the effects of climate change on the game of cricket is a major concern and said that measures need to be taken fast by the administrators who govern the sport.

"The effects of climate change on the game are a major concern, and the solutions rely on decisive action being taken by some annoyingly reticent politicians," Chappell wrote in an article for ESPN Cricinfo.

In the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, few matches got abandoned due to rain and the game of cricket has regularly been under criticism for the number of matches that get washed out due to rain.

Chappell also believes that the increase in temperature will possibly add to the health dangers for players.

"For starters, drastic increases in temperature will add to the health dangers for players. There's nothing more frustrating than a game delayed by rain, but imagine if players are off the field because the sun burns too brightly," Chappell said.

"That is the reality if temperatures keep rising; players will need to be protected from heatstroke or more lasting skin-cancer damage. In a litigious era, cricket boards will need to proceed with caution. It's no wonder day-night matches are considered critical to Test cricket's future," he added.

The 76-year-old also expressed concern over the increasing scarcity of water throughout the world and said that water is essential for producing good quality pitches.

"Then there is the concern of rising sea levels and more ferocious weather events like devastating tornadoes and cyclones. There's also the damaging effect of reduced rainfall, which has already seen one Test-match city - Cape Town - come perilously close to running out of water in recent years. Water is integral to the proper preparation of suitable pitches, but that, of course, will remain well down the list of priorities when compared with the life or death of citizens," Chappell said.

Recently, Greta Thunberg, the teenage Swedish environmental activist took social media by storm with her rousing speech at the UN Climate Change Summit in New York.

"You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. We are in the beginning of mass extinction and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth - how dare you," Thunberg had said at the UN Climate Change Summit.

Greta, who has become the global face of the growing youth movement against climate inaction, began her speech by telling her audience amusingly, "My message is that we will be watching you."'

In her speech, the activist also addressed the pressing issue of the dangerous global heating across the world, saying, "I shouldn't be here. I should have been back at school, on the other side of the ocean. Yet you all come to us young people for hope. How dare you?

The Climate Change summit was hosted by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to give a boost to the 2015 Paris Agreement and address the global climate emergency.