This year’s Australian Institute of Sport recommendations set out the levels of smoke pollution that are acceptable before they pose a risk to athletes’ health. They build on efforts in the Black Summer of 2019-20 when the AIS rushed to respond to a need from sports for advice amid a blanket of haze in much of eastern Australia.
CA doesn’t publish its policy for elite cricket but confirmed it is largely consistent with the community guidelines. A spokesperson said: “The guidelines put a strong emphasis on player welfare and urge clubs to take a conservative approach when deciding if it is safe to play or train in bushfire smoke or other hazardous conditions.”
Since then Hughes and his team have drawn together literature and investigated how different components in bushfire smoke can impair physical performance.