‘Extreme heat can be deadly:’ how cricket is handling the climate crisis

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An extreme heatwave sits over southern Asia, hitting early and without precedent. March was the hottest in India since records began 122 years ago. In Delhi, temperatures are expected to pass 44C this week; in Pakistan’s Balochistan region, the mercury has been touching 50C for some time. Crops are failing and there are power shortages as the demand for electricity soars. Uncontrollable fires are breaking out, including in landfill sites on the outskirts of Delhi, adding to the toxic air.

The Indian Premier League continues regardless. Last week the Royal Challengers Bangalore captain, Faf du Plessis, talked about the challenges of playing in such debilitating conditions. “I take a lot of fluids before the game,” he said. “We practised today and it was very, very hot. It’s good to get your body used to what you are going to get with respect to the conditions. But also, on the day, it is very important to try and manage the intensity. When it is very hot, like it is at the moment, you have got to make sure you conserve as much as you can.”

“For instance, when you’re batting,” agreed the RCB bowler Harshal Patel, “when there’s a definite two, you try and take a two, but when there’s not a definite two, just try and conserve some energy.”

The 2019 Hit for Six report examined the physical and psychological risks to cricketers from intense heat, from heatstroke to impaired decision-making. It pointed to the particular dangers to athletes of high wet-bulb temperatures, which measure how well humans cool down by sweating when it’s hot and