In a courageous act, Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins is taking on the existential threats from climate change to local sports. He calls on the federal government to establish a $100 million fund to sustain this critical endeavor. This initiative aims to assist approximately 1,000 grassroots sporting clubs in managing the financial burdens associated with extreme weather conditions, including excessive rainfall and heat.
Cummins addressed a summit at Parliament House in Canberra on Monday night, where he engaged with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen. He is driven by the things he has been through and witnessed with climate change’s impact on cricket. This was most apparent during the extreme impacts of the 2019/20 summer catastrophic fire season.
Cricket, one of the most climate impacted global sports, is played in the hottest summer months, with many fixtures at risk from the impacts of climate change. As chronicled in a report from the 2025 Indian Premier League, the picture was nothing short of horrifying. More than half of those 65 matches were played at Extreme Caution or Danger on Heat Index. These new record high temps put both players’ safety and the integrity of the game itself at great risk.
Nicola Barr painted a picture of the recent examples of extreme weather damaging grassroots sports. Climate change is very real to Harith, and her understanding of it comes from her lived experiences during the deadly heatwaves.
Barr, a representative from Penrith, highlighted how her community has been affected by these changes, stating, “Community sporting clubs are the heartbeat of Australia. I’ve got so much to thank my community at Penrith growing up, not only taught me cricket but it’s where I spent all my weekends.”
Cummins co-founded Cricket for Climate, a non-profit organization that increases awareness around climate impacts on sports. He reiterated the call for immediate action. As he put it, “If we don’t take care of them, we’re losing something far greater than sport.” He highlighted the increasing expense and challenges that community clubs are encountering with these extreme climate changes.
“This is about giving clubs a fair go so they can keep the lights on, keep people playing and be part of the shift to cleaner, cheaper energy,” he added. Reducing barriers for clubs Cummins highlighted that a big part of this effort is about lowering the cost burden on these clubs.
The new solar and storage fund would direct resources to install solar panels and storage batteries. It will add shade structures, lighting for night play, and ground drainage systems. Installed on Victoria’s Shepley Oval in Dandenong, these solar panels have provided fantastic benefits. Our local cricket and soccer clubs are already jumping for joy at raking in over $10,000 annually!
Through its successful #GoSolar program, Cricket for Climate has now helped put more than 400 kW of solar rooftops on Australia’s local cricket clubs. This initiative has resulted in energy savings exceeding $1 million. These kinds of initiatives show the communities’ deep commitment to real action on sustainability and resiliency to climate related impacts.
Cummins then went on to describe a key experience of English cricketer Joe Root’s. During the 2018 Ashes test match, temperatures soared to an astonishing 47.3 degrees Celsius, resulting in Root undergoing treatment for heat stress. This tragic event is a reminder of the pressing need to enhance protective measures for all athletes.
Extreme weather events have wreaked havoc on local sporting activities this winter in cities like Sydney and Brisbane, further reinforcing the necessity for strategic interventions.
