The game of Cricket as a sport is heavily dependent on technology. From bowling to decision making, the involvement of technology is of great use. Let us further dig into and understand the commonly used gadgets of the sport. With three cameras tracking the Cricket ball at all times, the recent ‘ball fixing’ by the Australians came as a bit of a surprise. Technology has seamlessly come into this game that involves the future of individual players, teams and the sport itself. It has become a tool to get the best out of the players. Thanks to technology, the fan is the ultimate winner because Cricket is being sold as an attractive package. The six areas in Cricket where technology has played a major role are: Hawk-Eye, LED lighting, Hot spot, Stump Camera, Snickometer, and speed gun.
Fans all over the country can follow matches online. It has increased the fan base for domestic Cricket. Instead of the fan chasing the information, it is the other way around now. When the late Hansie Cronje used earphone on the field to have direct contact with the coach sitting in the pavilion, the controversy cropped up in the cricketing field. However, for each and every decision and for even checking no balls technology being used at the highest level. The fruits of using technology pay a high dividend but there is still scope for some silly mistakes despite using technology.
Coaches reap rich benefits from the use of technology. From naked-eye coaching, now data-driven and visual training have been welcomed all over. Sensors placed in the bat give an indication of the ball hitting the middle of the bat and the edges. Earlier, videos were used for coaching analysis. From VHS tapes, which would take 10 hours to view, it has now come down to a 10-minute process. By the practice time is over, the ward’s batting display and his weaknesses are loaded in mother’s mobile for viewing the same by sitting in the car going back home.
Hawk-Eye technology helps in tracking the ball. The third umpire gets to use this technique and the accurate pitch map helps in taking a near-perfect decision. The point of impact, the bounce of the ball, the swing and turn, and the length of the ball: Decision-making has become almost error-free with the umpires relying on the technology to come to a conclusion. Camera work from different angles allows minute scrutiny of the ball.
LED lighting arrangement is the modern use of technology in the game of Cricket. LED lights are placed on the stumps and the bails. Whenever these are dislodged, the lights start to flash. This helps the umpires in case of running out, bowled and stumping decisions very much for both the on-field umpires and the third umpire as well. Instead of complaining about technology, why can’t the umpires and the players be trained to use it better? Besides, technology is already in use by umpires to determine run outs, no-balls, stumping and illegitimate catches caught after the ball bounced — so what’s wrong in extending it to LBWs and other forms of dismissals as well?
Snickometer, previously used on TV broadcasts but not available to umpire reviews of disputed calls during tests, will join Hot Spot, Eagle-Eye ball tracking and stump microphones as part of the DRS technology package. Snicko, as part of the DRS, should enhance the TV coverage and cut down on incorrect umpiring decisions. Speed gun is a radar gun has both a receiver and a transmitter. A radio wave reflected from Cricket balls is detected by the gun which uses the principle of Doppler shift to measure the speed of the ball when bowled and the stump camera provides a unique angle of the game and is often instrumental in decision-making run outs.
Umpires are a conventional technology for arriving at the right decisions on a Cricket field. Now, the last couple of decades have seen rapid upgradations to pretty much every other technology there is. So, it is in the case of Cricket. The decision-making mechanisms in Cricket have been enhanced with new technologies meant to supplement the umpires.
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
