UAE International League T20 will take the experience to the next level for cricket fans. They are introducing Smart ball technology in the first edition of the tournament. The technology will provide better and more in-depth analytics about a player’s performance. Not only will it help the fans to understand, but it will also empower a cricketer to improve.
What is this Smart ball technology?
It is an IoT (Internet of Things) device set inside the ball. It serves as the nucleus, connecting with other devices present in the vicinity. That means Smart ball will provide communication, tracking, analytics, and much more. It is a Bluetooth-driven technology that will benefit everyone in the tournament. That includes commentators, statisticians, franchise owners, and, most importantly, players.
What can we conclude with Smart ball? Here are some common examples:
- Distance traveled by the ball
- Connection of the ball with the bat
- Detection of the ball on the surface
- Speed of the ball
- Revolutions of the ball per minute
- Change in the propelling direction of the ball
Sportcor is the company that will power the ILT20 league with its Smart ball technology. Their CEO, Zane Hall, spoke openly about this revolution in the cricket field. He stated,
“We, SportsCor, are the leaders in this market of providing incomparable live data. The technology contained within these hand-crafted Kookaburra balls sends information from the ball to the end user in no more than 2.2 seconds – an extremely valuable tool for any commentator or a high-performance manager needing split-second data. Once the ball is in the bowler’s hand, we are already thinking, ‘how is that bowler going to exercise his skill, his craft, and impart his art of deception toward the bats person’, the Magnus force phenomena of Speed – Spin – Pre Bounce that comes into play is a metric that needs to be thoroughly explored. This is the exciting data and story we will see in real-time at the ILT20 2023.”
Mubashir Usmani, General Secretary Emirates Cricket Board, added more to the discussion. He presented an introduction about Smart ball. In this conversation, he said.”
“With technology growing at a rapid pace, we have a responsibility of not only keeping up with but staying well ahead of the times, commitment to innovation is one of the core values of the ILT20 and this partnership is a testament to this. Therefore, we are delighted to introduce Smart ball in the first season of the ILT20.”
The well-known former Pakistani cricketer Wasim Akram also had a say in the technology revolution in cricket. He stated,
“This is something new, something exciting, something useful. As a bowler, you can gauge how the ball will swing or react on a certain pitch, but with this technology, you, again as a bowler, can go back after the game and assess the actual data and understand how to start (the next game). As a commentator, I’ll be able to see the swing, the pace off the pitch, from the air and how much it spins; that’s something new and will be a lot of help.”
It is easy to see why cricketers appreciate the introduction of Smart ball. As Wasim Akram mentioned, it is helpful for the bowler, batsman, and commentator. The Champion of West Indies, Dwayne Bravo, shared his experience and views on using technology in the playing field by saying,
“The direction cricket is going, this (technology) will come in handy. Data is very important, and it’s crucial for captains, coaches and the player, (so) the feedback the ball will give you will help prepare you (for the next game) and move you forward in the tournament.” “It’s good, I played with this ball last season and wasn’t aware. It’s something for the bowlers.” Watch and learn more about these two cricketing greats using and explaining the Smart ball ‘here’.
Summary of the ILT20 Smart ball Technology in the first edition 2023.
So, what can one expect from using cutting-edge Smart ball technology in cricket? First of all, fans will see better analytics on screen. They will also see the participants improving their weaknesses assessed by past performances. All of these factors will make the UAE T20 league all the more engaging.