Smoke issue for CA as Bond puts things in perspective

Sydney Thunder coach Shane Bond believes the KFC BBL game called off due to dangerous smoke illustrates a significant issue for Cricket Australia ahead of more games in bushfire-affected regions in the coming weeks, including the New Year's Test in Sydney.

Test call-up Peter Siddle, after bowling just two overs, and several of the 5,556 spectators who attended the Canberra clash in weather deemed "hazardous" by ACT Health required medical attention after conditions deteriorated rapidly during Saturday evening's abandoned BBL clash at Manuka Oval.

While Siddle is expected to be fine to join Australia's squad for the Boxing Day Test, CA described the conditions as "dangerous and unreasonable" in a statement and Bond said the safety of fans must be considered ahead of future games in conditions he labelled "scary".

Bushfires continue to rage in New South Wales, with the fallout posing safety issues for players and fans ahead of the third Domain Test against New Zealand on January 3 as well as a further five BBL games in Sydney over the next three weeks and another Thunder BBL game in Canberra on January 15.

Umpires initially called off play due to poor visibility from the smoke that rapidly enshrouded Manuka Oval when the Thunder were 1-40 after 4.2 overs chasing 162, but the poor air quality was also a factor in the eventual abandonment.

"For Cricket Australia, it's a challenge. There's a Test match coming up (in Sydney), we're back with a game here, we've got games in Sydney coming up," Bond told reporters.

"I'm not quite sure what the process and protocols they're going to have going forward. There are some challenges for Cricket Australia and the BBL.

"Ultimately you just want to get it right so that fans don't get sick and everyone's clear in terms of the medical stuff as well."

Jon Wells, whose superb unbeaten half-century to lift the Strikers to 5-161 was overshadowed by the game’s cancellation, said breathing became a problem.

"The first innings was okay, then it came over pretty quick and all of a sudden it was very bad," said Wells.

"It was very smoky and we had a couple of guys struggling. It was pretty hard to see out there. ‘Sidds’ (Siddle) was one in particular having a few issues.

"You could see (the smoke) coming with the wind at the start of that Rashid over.

"Both teams would have liked to have played a full game of cricket out there. It was a disappointing scenario to be faced with, but it was more important for the health and safety of everyone."

Callum Ferguson protested to the umpires when they stopped play four balls before a near-certain Thunder victory on the Duckworth Lewis Stern Method.

Bond maintained that visibility was not an issue for his side's batsmen especially while facing a slower bowler in leg-spinner Rashid Khan, who was two balls into the fifth over of the innings.

Assuming the Thunder would not have lost three or more wickets from Rashid's next four balls, they would have been awarded victory if play had been called at the completion of the over.

"Visibility for us we thought was okay to finish the game," said Bond. "But the air quality was poor, clearly. People went down (ill) in the stands.

"You always want to do what you can to get a game in. You think everyone gets a game in and then everybody leaves. People hung around – you don't want people to hang around in the smoke.

"We were in the box seat to get those points so it's easy to say that … The umpires made that decision and we respect that."

Bond, a former New Zealand paceman who terrorised Australia during a nine-year international career, stressed the result of the match mattered little when compared to the ongoing bushfire emergency in Australia.

"You've got to stop to take a breath and say, 'look, losing a point is not the same as losing your house'," said the 44-year-old.

"There's some perspective there and some people are doing it tough. We're pleased we put on a good show for the people in our region and we hope they're doing okay.

"There's some people in the wider area going through some horrific times. Obviously dropping a point isn't anything compared to what other people are going through."