Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins is hopeful Just Stop Oil protesters will not disrupt the World Test Championship final against India, beginning in London on Wednesday, after the team bus was caught up in a stoppage.
The Australians were a few minutes late for training on Monday after a protest near the Oval stopped traffic and had to be cleared by police.
The England team suffered the same fate last Thursday when their team bus was caught up in a protest heading to Lord’s ahead of the first day of the Test against Ireland, although the match started on time.
Amid the threat of potential protests last week at Lord’s, the MCC said it had enhanced security measures and Cummins claimed the same approach had been taken at the Oval, with the match sold out every day.
“It’s something we got in the security briefing a couple days ago,” Cummins said. “I’ve heard that they’re aware of it and kind of keep an eye out. But that’s as much as we’ve heard.
“So hopefully, it doesn’t happen, obviously. But yeah, I’ve heard there’s a few different events that have been affected.”
Just Stop Oil protesters in London last month.Credit: Getty Images
Cummins has made clear his support for action against climate change, drawing criticism from the far-right fringe of Australian politics, but he has no regard for the disruptive tactics of the Just Stop Oil movement.
“First of all I have to say I had haven’t really followed it at all, so I don’t really know what these protests are about, but my view is always there’s right ways to go about things and potentially not the right way to go about things,” Cummins said. “Whenever anyone’s got any beliefs, you just hope you take the right option.”
Sporting events have been amid a variety of public targets. Protesters were also able to disrupt the Gallagher Premiership rugby final at Twickenham between Saracens and Sale recently.
Two men wearing Just Stop Oil T-shirts invaded the pitch midway through the first half and threw orange paint powder onto the field before being removed by security staff.
A ‘Just Stop Oil’ protester disrupts the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield during April.Credit: PA
A similar incident occurred at the Crucible during the World Snooker Championships in April, when a man wearing a Just Stop Oil T-shirt jumped on a table while a match was taking place and tipped orange powder over the cloth.
Australia play the second Ashes Test at Lord’s in London later this month, where security plans are in place.
An MCC spokesman said: “the safety and security [of players and spectators] is the highest priority for MCC.
“We have a number of ground regulations that help us achieve that; including not entering the playing area or demonstrating.
“Whilst protests would disrupt the game, we have a number of security measures in place, some visible, some less so to deter this. In some areas we have enhanced those existing provisions ahead of this summer’s schedule.”
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