New Delhi. The interference of technology is increasing in the fast paced everyday life. Sports are also not untouched by this. These days, technology is proving to be an ideal ally for judges (umpires/referees) to make decisions in sports foolproof to a large extent and to remove any kind of doubt. The Decision Review System (DRS) has also been made more accurate in the 2024 season of the Indian Premier League i.e. IPL.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), increasing the intervention of technology for better decision making, has launched a new camera based review system which has been named Smart Replay System i.e. SRS. For this, new high speed cameras have been installed at different locations in the stadium, which take visuals from different angles and send them to the third umpire to take a quick decision. Smart replay system is proving to be very helpful in taking quicker, more accurate and error proof decisions.
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However, there is a section which is not in favor of too much ‘entry’ of technology in sports or cricket. It believes that a little use of technology in sports is fine but excessive dependence on it is not good as it wastes a lot of time. At the same time, it also encroaches on the human brain’s ability to make quick decisions and the right of a player to be favored by ‘luck’ (in case of a wrong decision by the umpire). Some people even say that only the umpire standing right in front of the batsman is in a position to accurately judge the ‘direction’ of the ball and technology also cannot be considered completely error proof. However, one positive aspect of the increasing influence of technology in cricket/IPL is that due to this, the viewers are getting to watch better quality telecast of the matches. Clear picture quality and visuals of the match from different angles are giving them complete enjoyment of the match. Cricket is considered a batsman’s game. Along with the use of smart review system, the rule of two bouncers in one over has also been implemented in this season to make IPL interesting.
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This is how SRS works
For the Smart Replay System (SRS), eight high-speed Hawkeye cameras have been installed at various places on the field, along with this, two Hawkeye camera operators sit with the TV umpires and provide them with real-time images and data so that they can take accurate decisions in less time. Get help. With the advent of this new system, the work of TV broadcasters has reduced, who were earlier an important link between the Hawk High operator and the umpire. With the new system, TV umpires will be able to analyze visuals/data in a better way. Under the Smart Replay system, accurate visuals will be visible on the screen, there will also be an option of split screen, making decision making easier than before. The system gives TV umpires the opportunity to analyze more visuals than ever before and also broadcasts their conversations live with Hawkeye operators so that viewers can clearly understand the rationale for decisions.
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Particularly helpful in these decisions
Although SRS will help the umpire in all kinds of decisions if needed, its visuals are very useful for the TV umpire in complex decisions like catches taken very close to the boundary rope or fielding attempts, LBW, stumping and runouts. Technologies like Snickometer, Smart Bells and Stumps, Spider Cam, Umpires Camera, Hotspot and Speedgun are already being used to make decisions accurate in cricket. Snickometer and Hotspot are considered useful in judging LBW and closed-in bat-pad catches. It tells whether the ball has touched the batsman’s bat or not. Similarly, LED lights are fitted in smart bails/stumps which light up when the ball hits them. Spider Cam can be moved from one place to another with the help of cables and wires. With a 360 degree angle view of the cricket field, this Spider Cam gives a better view of sixes and other sky shots.
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Spider cams have become a threat a few times
However, there are some dangers of excessive use of technology. Some incidents of the Spider Cam colliding with players while moving have also come to light. During the Melbourne Test between South Africa and Australia in December 2022, fast bowler Enrique Norcia narrowly escaped being a victim of a major accident. While fielding, a spider cam collided with South Africa’s Norkia and he fell. His elbow was injured. After the accident, Norkia had said that these cameras should not fly at head height. According to the information, the Spider Cam weighing about 25 kg can move at a maximum speed of 35 KM/H, hence it has become the cause of accidents in the field a few times. On some occasions, the fielder has faced difficulty in taking catches due to the cables of the spider cam.
During IPL 2024, on March 24, during the match between Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Supergiants, the cable of the spidercam broke and the camera fell on the ground, due to which the game had to be stopped for some time. Similarly, during the match between Punjab Super Kings and Lucknow Supergiants on March 30, Punjab batsman Liam Livingstone’s flamboyant sky shot (which was bound to go out of the boundary for a six) hit the spy cam.
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Tags: BCCI, DRS, Indian premier league, IPL, IPL 2024
FIRST PUBLISHED: April 5, 2024, 08:04 IST