The 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup is going on, and all of the great cricketing nations are competing in this phenomenal series of one-day international matches. A cricket match today makes use of the latest technological advancements for enabling the umpires to make sure that their decisions are correct.
Furthermore, each match is being covered by making use of thirty cameras. This includes the camera that flies above the field on wires – known as Spidercam. That is not all; small cameras have been installed on the stumps for providing the viewers with an authentic feeling. We have decided to make a list of technologies that are changing the game of cricket.
Hot Spot
One of the most recurring questions in a game of cricket is if the batsman’s leg or any other body part prevented the ball from making contact with the stump? The ball is generally travelling at 150 kilometers per hour and has to travel a distance of twenty meters. This makes it quite tricky for the umpires to ascertain the situation. That is where Hot Spot comes in with its infrared cameras that can determine the impact point between the obstacle and the ball. For instance, if a ball makes contact with the batsman’s pad, it will generate friction, thus creating heat and this heat can be picked up by the cameras.
UltraEdge
This is yet another all too familiar scenario in a game of cricket; the ball zooms past the batsman who tries to play a shot, and the wicketkeeper catches the ball shouting that the batsman is out. But the batsman swears that the ball didn’t touch the bat. UltraEdge settles the claim for once and all using the small and unidirectional microphones that are installed at the base of the stumps. These can detect even the smallest of the encounter of ball and bat.
Hawk-Eye
Hawk-Eye is basically the name given to the technology that relies on algorithms and augmented reality graphics for tracking the ball as it makes its way down the pitch. It is used in conjunction with Hot Spot for determining the answer to the leg-before-wicket call in a match of cricket.
These technologies are making the game of cricket more fair and fun! What do you think?
