Over the years, the way we watch a game of Cricket has undergone massive changes. Gone are the days when the game only mean watching a bowler running in hard to bowl while trying his best to get the batsman’s wicket. Today, the use of technology has the viewers more engrossed in the game and also helps one understand different aspects of the game from the comforts of one’s couch. As we prepare for the much-awaited match between India and Pakistan in the ongoing Asia Cup later today, let’s take a look at some of these technologies.
There is no denying the rush when you see Mitchell Johnson charging in to bowl a delivery that is not only meant to take the batsman’s wicket but also aimed at hurting him. But what heightens that rush is knowing at what speed the ball left Johnson’s hands. This is where the Speed Gun comes into play.
First introduced in Tennis, this machine uses a Doppler radar to determine the speed of ball leaving the bowler’s hands. The gun is located near the sight-screen and using microwave technology, relays a beam across the pitch that detects movements. By calculating the speed of the movement, the gun determines the speed of the ball.
The Hawk Eye technology is what answers the question — “What if?” Invented by former Buckinghamshire player Dr Paul Hawkins, this is the same technology used for brain surgery and missile tracking.
Hawk Eye uses six special cameras placed around the stadium and tracks the ball’s trajectory from the bowler’s arms to the point of contact. The technology detects variations in bounce, spin, swing and seam and using the software converts the path into a 3D image to show how the ball would have travelled.
In a crowded stadium where noise levels are high, it can sometimes be difficult for an Umpire to hear the sound of the ball hitting a bat’s edge. In order to give the right decision, the Umpires have to sometimes depend on the Snicko to give the decision.
This tech uses a sensitive microphone placed on one of the stumps at both ends of pitch and is connected to an oscilloscope that measures sound waves. The oscilloscope shows the sound picked up by the microphone as a sound wave and in conjunction with a camera, you can see if there was a change in the sound wave when the ball passed the bat or pads.
Broadcasters have been using slow motion technology to show replays since 2005. These super slow motion cameras situated around the stadium record images at 500 frames per second (fps) compared to normal cameras that record images at 24 fps. This technology has been used to show replays to analyze runouts or stumpings.
This is a fairly new technology that was first introduced during the 2006-2007 Ashes series. Instead of relying on the sound, this ball tracking technology relies on the ball’s heat signature. Infrared cameras situated in the stadium, detect the slightest of changes in the ball’s heat signatures. The software then generates a negative image on which the point of contact is highlighted as a hot spot for a second or two. This technology is particularly helpful in detecting faint edges.