The Use of Technology in Modern Cricket: Revolutionizing the Game

Technology has had a significant impact on cricket, enhancing the game both on and off the field. The Gentleman's game originated in the 16th century. Up until now, in these five centuries, the game of cricket has evolved and been introduced to different levels.  In today's sport, analytics is a key factor and a prime determinant of whether a team succeeds or not, and analyzing what fails and can be improved upon. 

Technology also supports the skippers and captains in planning various strategies. It has simplified the job of the umpires in making precise decisions. 

A list of such technological advancements has been taken into consideration here, which either newly or over time transformed the experience of Cricket.

The Bowling Machine:

The Bowling Machine (also referred to as Bola Machine) is a machine that is capable of duplicating the spin and swing of bowlers which was invented by Michael Stuart (in 1985), a club cricketer, as a component of a virtual reality project for enhancing match training in cricket. Michael Stuart exhibited this machine at a University conference to bring its working principles to life.

The swing and spin are imparted on the ball by two wheels that spin in conjunction with a barrel, which employs rifling theory to provide sidespin.

Speed Gun:

According to the official Guinness world records, “The fastest electronically measured speed for a ball bowled by any male bowler is 161.3 km/h (100.23 mph) by a well-renowned and terrifying Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar (Broadly known as The Rawalpindi Express) against England on 22 February 2003 in a World Cup match at Newlands, Cape Town, South Africa.”

This grand and chivalric world record was actually measured using a Small Doppler Radar Unit that can detect the speed of moving objects i.e. the moving ball.

HawkEye- The Ball Tracking System:

Hawkeye was invented in 2001 to explicate the trajectory of the ball once delivered from the bowlers' hand. This technology is the most extensively used technology by the broadcasters to provide another perspective view for the Leg Before Wicket (LBW) appeals to the commentators and viewers.

This technology uses a slew of cameras placed around the ground or aligned under the stadium roofs to generate a three-dimensional representation of the trajectory of the ball thereby helping in the judgment of the LBW appeals. It is also implemented in the Umpire Decision Review System.

Snickometer-Ultra Edge

This is also known as "snicko" and it is used to detect edges or faint sounds indicating a possible catch. Used to determine if the batsman has made contact with the ball, especially when there's doubt about whether the ball has been edged to the keeper or slips.

Snicko produces a disturbance in the graph when the surface of the ball touches the bat or any other part of the batsman. Snickometer uses a microphone, placed near the stumps, to detect the sound of the hit and determine the surface of the impact. The shape of the frequency helps the third umpire in making a conclusive decision.

Hotspots- Edge Detection

Another recent breakthrough in cricket technological assets is the HotSpot implementation. But it came into play after the Snickometer was reportedly considered not accurate enough.

Using an advanced infrared detection system to detect the heat signature of the ball’s impact, the HotSpot is substantially helpful in judging the slightest edges and close bat-pad LBW shouts. It uses the camera on both ends of the ground and provides information based on the heat friction generated by a collision. Although it provides highly accurate results, the technology is not widely implemented in Cricket due to the expensive and sensitive equipment and setup.

Stump Mic & Camera

In order to provide a more in-depth experience to the viewers, the Stump Mic & Camera are utilized to closely broadcast the batsman's view on the pitch. The camera is vertically aligned in the hollow middle stump through a small window on the side of the stump via a mirror.

While the mic is also attached to the middle stump and used to receive the sound waves and helps the umpire whilst taking decisions when the batsman nicks the ball.

DRS

The Decision Review System or DRS is the modern-day method for correcting or reviewing the on-field umpire's call. The DRS takes into account the Snickometer, Hotspot, and Hawkeye whilst providing a conclusive decision whether the decision stands or not.

Ball Spin RPM

This technology was introduced by Sky Sports in the 2013 Ashes series, the Ball Spin RPM (Revolutions Per Minute) counter provides the rate of spin of the ball after it is released. It can measure the ingredients of sidespin and top-or-backspin once the ball is off the pitch. The RPM counter is a critically important addition in the cricket tech to estimate the skills and abilities of the spinners as the speed gun was developed for the Pacers.

LED Stumps & Bails

It  provides an enhanced view of the match, especially for close calls. Cameras are embedded in the stumps to give real-time footage, often used for replays and to review run-outs, stumpings, or decisions involving bat and ball contact.

These stumps are slightly heavier than the usual wooden stumps, the LED Zing bails and stumps are the latest technological installation in cricket. LED stumps were first used during the 2013 Australian Big Bash League and subsequently in the 2014 and 2016 ICC World T20 Cups along with the 2015 ICC World Cup. The LED stumps were an innovation by Bronte Eckermann.

Though an expensive technology, LED Bails are used to helping the umpires make a precise decision when it comes to decisions regarding run-outs. The bail glows when it is dealt with an impact. It has a sensor, a microprocessor, and a low-voltage battery.

Spider Cams

The Spidercam is another remarkable and one of my favorite improvements in the coverage of cricket matches since it provides a unique angular view of the matches to the viewers.

The Spidercam is a system that enables the cameras to move both vertically and horizontally over a defined area i.e. the Cricket ground. It is operated using four motorized winches positioned at each corner of the ground. Each winch is controlled using a Kevlar cable connected to a gyro-stabilized camera carrier. This system is controlled through software and enables the camera to literally reach each and every corner of the ground as defined in its 3-dimensional coverage area.

Wearable Technology (Player Monitoring)

This technology is used to track player fitness and performance metrics.  Devices like GPS trackers, heart rate monitors, and smartwatches allow teams to monitor players' fitness, stamina, and recovery, leading to better performance management.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

This technology is used to predict outcomes and help with strategic planning. AI models analyze vast amounts of data to predict match outcomes, help select teams, or even predict how a certain player might perform under specific conditions.

Software and Equipment

Improvements in sportswear and cricketing equipment technology over the last few years, have mainly changed the helmet design and the materials use, size and weight of bats, thickness and weight of pads and gloves with a little change in regards to the ball, hats, etc.

Fabrics now being used are proven to keep warm, dry, cool to improve the performance, to help recover quicker, and even smell better for sports clothing. The beauty of sportswear is that they have quite light in build and do not restrict in free body movement of the player.

Moreover, chips are installed in the bats and balls so as to measure the angle, the bat speed, swing, and seam for various analysis purposes. These chips are inserted in the handles of the bat to study the motion of the bat while hitting the ball. These are exclusively designed to bestow complete versatility and ease to play.

Conclusion

In this article, we have discussed various technological advancements in cricket such as Bowling machines, Hawkeye, Hot spot, speedometer, stump mic & camera, ultra edge, and sportswear technology, etc. Not only these advancements have helped to make correct decisions but they have also nourished the game vastly and this made the competition more 'smarter'. These new innovations are extensively been effective and serve as a treat for the viewers. They also help in analyzing various nuances of the game of cricket.