Tracing Cricket’s Journey Into A Tech-Driven World
The history of cricket dates back to the 17th Century in southeastern England. It was the Norman-Saxon era riddled with chaos and friction. Back then, kids invented a game where a player threw a ball with a bat or stick at another player. Two or three sticks were tied together to make wickets. If the batsman misses to hit the ball and hits the wickets, the batsman loses his chance. If he hits, he will run on the pitch and count. How fascinating and innovative were the kids? This game was later called ‘Cricket.’ It spread across the world in the 18th Century due to colonization.
The first reference to adult cricket was documented in 1611. Since then, it has become a ragingly-popular sport across the countries. To this date, there are 12 active members of the International Cricket Council. Since then, cricket has covered a long journey where new technology is introduced now and then to make a game fair for both teams. The technology we use these days can spot a ball’s trajectory and even check whether it has been nicked at the bat’s edge. We have digital tools that can easily make a cricket match prediction based on the performance of the players before even the match starts.
Cricket in the Tech-Driven World
The journey of cricket in the tech-driven world is quite fascinating for the players and admirers. Fans love the advancements installed and used to make better decisions on the field by the authority. Let us look deeper into the technology used in cricket matches today and understand the impact.
- Decision Review System (DRS)
Just a few decades ago, the decisions were made by umpires on the ground. There are two umpires on the ground. They got only two views of a ball, and their observations made the decision. Umpires made mistakes more often. After all, they are humans too. This is why a new technology called the Decision Review System (DRS) was introduced. This system comprises the following features.
- Ball tracking
- Front foot technology
- Snick-o-meter
- Smart bails
All these features use camera angles, sensors, and other remarkable digital features to predict ball movements, player actions, etc.
- Ball Tracking
As the name suggests, this technology is used to track the trajectory of the path of a ball. For instance, a ball is stopped by the batsman’s pad, and an appeal is made by the bowler for a suspected leg-before-wicket (LBW). This technology can track the rest of the trajectory and check whether the ball could have hit the wicket. It helps the umpires to make a fair decision.
- Edge Detection
Ultra Edge or Edge Detection is a technology based on the sound frequency left by a ball nicked by a bat’s edge. Imagine the enormous crowd howling together and enjoying the game. Even in this chaotic environment, this technology can detect the slightest sound made by a ball slightly hitting the edge of a bat.
- Smart Bails
It seldom happened that the ball brushed the bails but did not fall on the ground. Even if the players have detected the bail movement, it was not considered out. This is where smart bails come into the picture. Even the slightest touch will activate its sensors, and the bails will turn on the lights installed inside them.
- Front Foot Technology
The crease is the line where a batsman has to remain inside or might get stumped by the wicketkeeper. This technology is so advanced that it uses fast cameras to slow down the movement of a batsman and check whether his foot is inside the crease. It helps umpires to make proper decisions.
- Power Analysis
The modern bats are attached with power sensors. These sensors can detect how hard the batsman has hit a ball. It also detects the angle of a bat, power, and the impact. The quick transfer of information helps us calculate how an avid batsman controls his power delivery on the balls bowled.
- Drones
Who does not love seeing a 360-degree view of the cricket ground? Yes! It has been made possible by including drones as a part of the camera system. These drones capture the entire view, and cricket fans can see their favorite players playing from different close angles.
- Speed Gun
You have seen the use of speed guns in Hollywood movies where cops used such devices to check the speed of a vehicle. The same is used to check the speed of a delivery. This gun is aimed at the bowler to check how fast a bowler delivers a ball to a batsman. It helps the bowlers make a variance in speed during practice and develop several techniques to defy a batsman’s skills.
Wrapping up
Cricket has now evolved into different formats. From test to T20, admirers enjoy this sport. Technology like pitch vision also enables bowlers and batsmen to enhance their skills and performance to bring their A-game to the field. We witness how technology has made the games smoother and better. New rules are designed based on the unforeseen flaws detected by technology. The prime aim of introducing new technology in cricket is to make it a fair game. It helps the teams playing against each other have the same advantage. It makes decision-making much easier and more accurate than before. Technology in cricket is getting smarter and better. We will witness even more advancement in the upcoming days making this sport more engaging and fun.
