Australians Pat Cummins and David Pocock shortlisted for Athlete of the Year award at BBC’s inaugural Green Sport Awards

The BBC’s first ever Green Sport Awards has seen Australian Test Cricket captain Pat Cummins and former Australian Rugby Union captain David Pocock shortlisted for the Athlete of the Year.

The Green Sport Awards are part of the BBC's commitment to a greener future and are designed to use the power and passion of sport for a positive effect. Working with Sport Positive Summit, the awards will celebrate individuals and organisations from across the globe who are actively contributing to a more sustainable future through their sporting profile and practices.

The BBC Green Sport Awards 2022 have five categories: Teamwork Award, Ambition & Impact Award, Evergreen Athlete 2022 (already awarded to US former racing driver Leilani Münter), Athlete of the Year and Young Athlete of the Year.

Here is why the Australians have been nominated for the Athlete of the Year award:

Pat Cummins
Earlier this year Cummins (pictured above) launched a new organisation to fight climate change, Cricket for Climate. With the backing of other top Australian cricketers, Cricket for Change has started by encouraging more than 4,000 local clubs to use solar power. Realising the effect global warming has on the game, he is using his sporting profile to encourage awareness at every level of the sport.

Cummins also became an Ambassador for UNICEF Australia, volunteering his time to raise awareness and help the UNICEF team to protect more of the world’s children.

David Pocock
Since retiring from professional rugby in 2020, David Pocock has led an initiative called 'The Cool Down' which resulted in over 300 athletes writing an open letter to the Australian government encouraging bolder climate action. Pocock recently made history by becoming the first independent senator for an Australian capital territory. Moreover, he is the first sportsperson to transition into politics on a purely environmental platform.

Pocock spent much of 2021 on the ground in Zimbabwe helping implement the early stages of Rangelands Restoration Trust. The ambitious project works to rebuild ecosystems, securing space for wildlife, improving degraded landscapes and ensuring that the benefits flow to the communities living within and alongside these remaining wild places.

Cummins and Pocock are joined on the Athlete of the Year shortlist by former American baseball player Chris Dickerson, Cameroon Olympic table tennis player Sarah Hanffou and British sailor Hannah Mills. The shortlist for this award was produced internally within the BBC, with the winner selected from the shortlist by a judging panel.

The winners of all the categories will be announced on Tuesday 4th October on BBC.com/sport, with a TV programme ‘BBC Green Sport Awards’ airing on BBC World News on Saturday 8th October.