Cricket: Former Black Caps bowler Simon Doull slammed for climate change comment in final ODI

SKY TV commentator Simon Doull. Photo / Photosport

Former Black Caps fast bowler and cricket commentator Simon Doull has been roasted by fans for a controversial on-air comment during the final ODI between New Zealand and Sri Lanka in a sunny Nelson.

Doull was commentating during the Black Caps' innings when he appeared to suggest climate change doesn't exist.

"If you listen to the people that believe in that climate change rubbish, then it'll be sunny again," he said.

"They'll be complaining about the heat.

"[We've] had two cracking summers the last two years in England. Heat waves."

Last year, the world's leading climate scientists warned that we have only 12 years to limit global warming to a maximum of 1.5C. Failure to do so will significantly increase the risk of drought, floods, extreme heat and poverty for hundreds of millions of people.

Doull perhaps didn't read the report as he then decided to infer that the heat leads to high scoring games.

"That was in the middle of a dry summer," he said, raving about high-scoring matches at last year's Royal London Cup.

Doull, who played 32 tests and 42 ODIs for New Zealand, was predictably slammed on Twitter.

@Sdoull
you are sounding more like @realDonaldTrump
with your ‘Climate Change Rubbish’ comments. Maybe stick to comments on your field of expertise #Cricket 🙈 #NZvSL #NZ #NZCricket #embarrassing #FacePalm

— Bee_johnson_87 (@Beejohnson871) January 8, 2019

Maybe have the commentators keep their ill-informed climate opinions to themselves. #NZvSL

— David (@HayzeeDavey) January 8, 2019

Did Simon Doull, live on television just say climate change isn't a thing? Wow, what an idiot. #NZvSL

— Stephen Gallagher (@SWTGallagher) January 8, 2019

On the pitch, Ross Taylor scored a remarkable 20th ODI century, departing for 137 after guiding the home side to its third consecutive 300+ total in the series.