“tech Brought More Southpaws Into Cricket. Intelligent Systems Will Push It” (book Review).

“Tech brought more southpaws into cricket. Intelligent systems will push it” (Book Review).

By Vishnu Makhijani New Delhi, Nov 30, : Technology has brought more left-handers into cricket.Leading cricket thinkers Nathan Leamon, Ben Jones, and others write in “Hitting Against the Spin – How Cricket Really Works”.

 “tech Brought More Southpaws Into Cricket. Intelligent Systems Will Push I-TeluguStop.com

If this sounds like science fiction, take a look behind the scenes at a Formula 1 team to see it in action.There are more human elements to cricket than we know.

The authors say that cricket will follow F1’s lead (once we figure out how to calculate the tyre wear of a fast bowler).

In the early 1990s 25% of Test cricket’s top order batsmen were left-handed.The home team provided both umpires.The International Panel of Umpires was established and the standard of umpiring in Test matches grew over the next 25 year.

“First, one neutral umpire was introduced, then two.Hawk-Eye was introduced, which helped improve umpires’ understanding and made their decision-making more efficient.

“Finally the introduction of the Decision Review System, and the professional training of the most skilled umpires in the country, raised standards even further.

“The accuracy of umpiring decisions increased simultaneously and independently, and the proportion of left-handers began to rise as well.” Leamon and Jones write that left-handed openers grew in popularity as umpiring became more accurate.They eventually outnumbered right-handers.

This was no accident.Better umpiring was the direct and unintended consequence of increased success for left-handed batsmen.

“Left-handed openers have always enjoyed an advantage under the LBW laws, but pre-1990 inconsistent umpiring was too blunt to reveal this advantage.If the umpire gives out, your law protection against ball pitching outside of your leg stump is not applicable to you.

“But as the precision of decision-making grew, the value of that protection grew as well, and so did performance of left-handers in the top ranks.

“This was, of necessity, only one of many ways that improving the umpires changed Test cricket’s patterns and trends.Constable/Hachette published the book.

This is just one of many amazing gems in the book.It takes you on a fascinating whistle stop tour of modern cricket, sports analytics, and brings cricket into the 21st Century by revealing its long-kept secrets.

It sheds light on international cricket and explains the hidden workings and dynamics.

It examines the forces that influence cricket and, in turn, the cricketers who play it.It reveals the invisible forces that decide which players succeed or fail, which tactics work, and which teams win or lose.

It reveals the hidden hands that have shaped the game, and the people who play it.

“Hopefully, we’ll solve puzzles that you have been pondering for years and show you new ways of thinking.It will be difficult in places and as geeky as your imagination will allow.The authors say that it will be enjoyable and you’ll see cricket differently afterward.”

It identifies why the ball swings and swerves in the air, and how batsmen can counter it.

England was to fly to India in the autumn 2012 to face a four-Test series against an Indian team led by M.S.Dhoni was determined to redeem their 0-4 defeat in England.The Indian team was also proud to be the proud owner of the best Test cricket home record.They had only lost one series at home in this century.

England had won four Tests India in the past 40 years.This made India a graveyard of English Test Teams.

Andy Flower, Head Coach of the England team, was methodical and nothing short of meticulous.

“So, six months before boarding the plane to India, the planning began in earnest.

Analysts, coaches, and players began to examine their weaknesses and identify the necessary changes.They also tried to model the successful methods of others.

“Fortunately for them England had received two object lessons in how to bat against spin.Rahul Dravid was India’s most successful batsman in 2011, when they toured England.

He scored 461 runs in the four match series.South Africa toured the country in 2011, and Jacques Kallis scored 262 runs during their three matches.

Kallis and Dravid at that time were the two Test cricket players who had faced the greatest number of spin balls.They scored 223 runs against spin in those two series for just one wicket.

Dravid had already influenced the England players’ and coaches’ thinking about the best way to beat spin.This focus was reinforced during preparations for the tour to India.

“All batsmen understand that footwork is crucial when playing against spin.Jones and Leamon write that Dravid is a master craftsman who made a huge difference in their game.

Dravid was only nine per cent of Dravid’s deliveries in the danger zone between where the ball bounces and where it travels.This is the area where the batsman can react to any movement and adjust his shot.He only attacked 1% of such balls.

Compare this to the English batsmen of the same series, who played 27 percent of their deliveries from spin and attacked 15 percent, 20 times more than Dravid.

For spinners, it’s not necessarily the number of turns that is a problem, but the inconsistency of the turn.It is the fact the batsman does not know how far the ball will move when it pitches.

The result?

An England win of 2-1 in the series, their first in India since 1984-85, which former captain Michael Vaughan described as bigger than the 2010-11 Ashes win against Australia and “probably their greatest achievement in many, many, many years.”

Even so, “for all of our advances in understanding cricket will always keep her secret, there will always be an level of mystery that she won’t allow us to penetrate.” Leamon and Jones conclude that we will never know all.

(Vishnu Makhijani can be reached at [email protected])

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Disclaimer : TeluguStop.com Editorial Team not involved in creation of this article & holds no responsibility for its content..This Article is Provided by IANS, Please contact IANS if any issues in Article .


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