Cricket Australia vow to protect players and fans in Sydney as Tim Paine says: "When it gets smoky, we're coming off"

The deadly blazes in the region are not expected to reach the SCG but their impact could be keenly felt, with smoke and ash potentially having a major impact on air quality

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Cricket Australia have pledged not to put the health of players, match officials or fans at risk during the third Test between Australia and New Zealand in Sydney, as the New South Wales bushfire emergency continues.

The deadly blazes in the region are not expected to reach the SCG but their impact could be keenly felt, with smoke and ash potentially having a major impact on air quality.

That in turn may lead to the match being temporarily halted, with match referee Richie Richardson and the umpires having the power to take the players from the pitch.

The ICC and the Environment Department in New South Wales will work with Cricket Australia to ensure the wellbeing of all is protected - and match officials will be given expert advice by on-site doctors.

"We won't be putting the players' health at risk, nor will we be putting the health of match officials, fans at the match or our own employees at risk," CA chief executive Kevin Roberts said.

^{The bushfire emergency continues in New South Wales}

"That is something we will be monitoring consistently through the five days' play. It's a day-by-day proposition.

"It's fair to say it's a collaborative exercise and we will continue to take advice from the experts."

Australia captain Tim Paine, meanwhile, is happy to be lead by the medical professionals.

"At the moment I'm not [concerned], but we're lucky that in the Australian set-up we've got world-class doctors and people that are put in place to make those decisions," Paine said.

"As a playing group we're just focusing on what we can control, which is going out and playing, and we'll be doing that until we're told otherwise.

"I've been given a sort of rough guide, but basically when it gets smoky, we're coming off.

"Our doc I think is having a pretty big say in reading the levels of air quality and stuff like that so I think it's all set, we know the number. If it happens it happens, and unfortunately that's life."