Cricket 'heat rules' call in response to climate change

LONDON - A joint report by sports researchers and environmental academics unveiled on Tuesday urges cricket authorities to introduce "heat rules" including postponing games in response to climate change.

The review, by the British Association for Sustainable Sport and two universities, also calls for extra care around youth players and for manufacturers to develop equipment that enhances airflow, as extreme heat becomes more common.

"This is a wake-up call not just for cricket, but for all sport," said Russell Seymour, sustainability manager at Lord's cricket ground in London -- the spiritual home of the game -- who wrote the foreword to the report.

"Sportspeople are not by nature bystanders and we can and must react to avoid the crises approaching us.
"For every player suffering, there are many more fans having to work and go about their daily lives in these increasingly harsh conditions," he added.