Play could be suspended during Australia’s New Year’s Test against New Zealand in Sydney because of the smoke from raging bushfires across New South Wales, reports suggest.
Temperatures are expected to cross 45°C from the second day onwards, though the weather forecast in the city appears slightly better than the rest of the state. However, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has indicated that the air quality is likely to suffer this weekend.
“With that second very hot spell, we would expect to see a continuation of smoke haze and poor air quality into the weekend, if not further (deterioration),” a BoM spokesperson said.
Come Tuesday, New Year's Eve, #Sydney collects some of those scorching temperatures: @BOM_au pic.twitter.com/rDYAARGtpn
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) December 29, 2019
The NSW bushfire crisis has already displaced millions of people and the smoke from it has impacted domestic games. Air quality assessments are now part of the medical briefing conducted before games in NSW.
A Big Bash League game between Sydney Thunder and Adelaide Strikers was called off after umpires deemed it too dangerous to continue” because of the smoke surrounding the Manuka Oval in Canberra. In fact, Strikers’ bowler Peter Siddle was treated for smoke inhalation after the abandoned match.
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The final day of the Sheffield Shield game between NSW and Queensland was also played in thick smoke at the Sydney Cricket Ground with NSW spinner Stephen O’Keefe labelling the conditions “shocking” and “toxic”.
The impact of climate change and extreme heat has been especially felt in Australia with CA now trying to lay a proper framework to deal with smoke and health hazards.
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Extreme temperatures have also caused multiple games to be suspended in the past month. New Zealand had cancelled the first day of a tour match in Melbourne while several first grade matches were delayed because of smoke from nearby fires.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) guidelines state that an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 300 and above is hazardous. However, according to the Australian Institute of Sports, an AQI of 150 is dangerous for intense exercise and 200 regardless of activity. Which means, it will be up to the ICC umpires and officials to take a call to suspend play.
“The rules are in place, like rain, to add time, suspend play. We’re finding also it (the smoke) comes in quick but it can also go quick,” Peter Roach, the CA head of operations, was quoted as saying.
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The BBL match between Sydney Thunder and Adelaide Strikers was suspended due to thick smoke[/caption]
“Hopefully we don’t see it. What we’ve seen is one day in 10 on average is proving a challenge. We hope that doesn’t come in a Test match, but we also understand that it might.
“But the ICC do have some guidelines on this that they refer to. But again, much like us, they look back on what is the visibility impact, what are the doctors saying at the ground to determine their decision making.”
The New Year’s Test begins on January 3. Australia already have a 2-0 unassailable lead in the three-match series.
