Between 2019 and 2020, three billion animals were killed or displaced by the terrible bushfire season, 33 people were killed, more than 3,000 houses were demolished and 11.46 million hectares of property was destroyed and casual cricket was interrupted across the Australia and Professional Cricket game in Canberra was postponed due to heavy smoke.
During the first one-day international match against India this November, two climate demonstrators rushed on the pitch, not only raising the visibility of Australia's climate crisis but also India, where the Bank Of India is reported to be close to finalizing a $1 billion loan for Adani's controversial coal project in Queensland, which will inevitably result in further environmental damage.
A statement has been provided by Ben Burdett, one of the two protesters who climbed on to the field, past the first crowd at an international men's match since the virus: "Millions of Indian taxpayers...have the right to know that the State Bank of India is considering handing their taxes over to the climate-wreck of a billionaire's climate-wretching coal mine.”
These chilling words serve as a warning to the Bank of India to consider cancelling the deal to prevent the damning consequences on the environment. But will they cancel the deal? Cricket, now with a new importance to millions of fans as a result of the pandemic, has an opportunity to become an example, and to lead other sports to make similarly make crucial decisions. Crucial decisions to save our planet.
