Hi, Cricket Insider🐧#69

By Cricket Insider

February 11, 2024

Welcome to the State of Cricket, where we share a perfectly curated email for cricket insiders. Some of our subscribers call the newsletter more satisfying than getting the perfect ratio of chip-to-guac in one bite. Nomnomnom.

In today’s edition

The Big Idea 💡 DRS
Talking Shop 🛍️ Markets
Super Over🍪 Favorite Finds

So, let's get right into it then. Leg Stump Please!🪖

THE BIG IDEA

Making a Case for DRS

The Zack Crawley LBW dismissal has definitely opened a can of worms when it comes to captains, commentators, experts, and fans as in the first instance no one assumed that the ball would hit the stumps. Even England Captain Ben Stokes said it out loud that they were robbed because of technology.

The Decision Review System (DRS) in cricket, while a significant advancement in technology-assisted decision-making, is still not foolproof. Below are some reasons why.

Accuracy of Ball tracking technology: Ball-tracking technology, such as Hawk-Eye, predicts the path of the ball for lbw decisions. While highly accurate, it is based on mathematical models and predictions from the point of bounce to where it hits the pad. There's a margin of error, especially for predictions on whether the ball would have hit the stumps, leading to the "umpire's call" concept for close decisions.
Equipment Sensitivity & Calibration: The effectiveness of technologies can be influenced by the sensitivity of the equipment used. The accuracy of these technologies can also depend on how well they are calibrated and set up at each venue. Inconsistent setups can lead to variations in data accuracy.
System glitches & Environmental Factors: Cricket's technological aids can experience glitches or failures. For example, there have been instances where the Zing bails have not dislodged or lit up despite the stumps being hit. It can be affected by environmental conditions, such as cold weather, which might reduce the heat signature contrast between the ball and the bat or pad.

Ben Stokes said it loud and clear

In a game full of ifs, buts and maybes, I am not going to say that's the reason why we haven't got the result we wanted. I'm just saying my personal opinion is that the technology has gone wrong on this occasion, and I think that's fair to say,

But Creator of the Hawk Eye Technology thought otherwise

Paul Hawkins, Creator of Hawk Eye said - the reason for the misconception was because the first replays of Crawley’s dismissal by Kuldeep Yadav came from a TV camera positioned slightly to the left of the bowlers’ stumps, rather than directly over them, which was where the Hawk-Eye camera was situated. “We were correct,” Hawkins insists.

“[The ball] looked like it was going down leg from the broadcast replays that were showing before Hawk-Eye was shown, which was [from] a super slo-mo [camera] more to the off side,” he said. “You could see a lot of the stumps, but once you see the in-line [Hawk-Eye] camera, you think, ‘Oh, okay’. But see the TV replay first and you’ve sort of made up your mind, and for people to then change their mind can be a challenge.

“There’s no question we were correct. The issue was: is it believable? The only thing that made it less believable was the broadcaster showing the super slo-mo [replay] from slightly more to the off side.”

“There isn’t [even] a 1 per cent chance of it being wrong. For every DRS [incident], we do screen-grabs which show everything the [Hawk-Eye] operator shows. This is automatic, we can’t manipulate it, and that immediately goes to the ICC [the game’s governing body] as part of the quality control process.

“There are also two independent tracking systems. The cameras are the same, but the operators do their calibrations and the manual bit independently. This provides back-up in the unlikely event that one crashes. Even if there is an lbw shout, let alone a review, the person that plays the review to TV [must check] before anything goes to air that both trajectories give the same result, and are hitting the stumps in the same place.

“It’s not a fully automated system, but a lot is done to eliminate human error by having checks, training and this process of two people doing things independently, [which] has pretty much always been there.”

There have been refinements. Today’s cameras have higher frame-rates, which can help to determine whether a ball has hit bat or pad first. The area of the stumps that produces an “out” verdict has grown slightly at the expense of the “umpire’s call” area. Teams now retain a review for “umpire’s call” rather than lose it.

“The believability has increased more than the reliability, which has always been pretty good,” Hawkins said. “We now have a lot of systems running around the world. It doesn’t matter to us whether it’s day five of a crucial Test or a T20 league — it’s your reputation on the line. Ensuring our fifteenth system works as well as our first is important. What’s evolved is people’s acceptance.

That’s both sides of the story. Did we miss out on anything? Let us know

TALKING SHOP

ICC Cricket World Cup brings Disney Star $315 million loss

Disney Star, which held the ICC TV and digital media rights till 2023, broadcast the matches on its Star network of channels.

As per the company’s first-quarter results, Star India’s revenue in the sports segment rose to $399 million during October-December 2023 from $233 million in the year-ago quarter, but its operating loss zoomed to $315 million from $129 million during the same period.

The company PR said reasons being due to high average cost per match, but the underlying reason could be something else.

What’s the Takeaway

Viewership data could have been inflated, didn’t get the ROI
Not all advertisers were willing to pay premium rates for ad spots.
Price hike that caused Disney to drop 1.3Million users

Did we miss out on anything ? Let us know know

Layoffs affecting the Cricket mergers

India's Zee Entertainment (ZEE.NS), has told Walt Disney (DIS.N), it does not intend to move forward with a deal to pay around $1.4 billion for cricket TV rights it acquired from the U.S. company.

Zee had signed a strategic license agreement with Disney to take over certain International Cricket Council TV broadcast rights for four years, starting in 2024, while the U.S. company would retain streaming rights.

The Indian company was to pay for the rights over time but it missed the first $200 million payment to Disney in recent weeks and told the U.S. company it was walking back on the deal.

FOR THE ROMANTIC

Who are you? A Reflective moment.

Jasprit Bumrah posted this on becoming the No. 1 Bowler. Begs the question - Are you a Supporter or Congratulator?

SUPER OVER

Six of our favorite finds

👓 Watch | The Story of Discovery of a Future West Indian Great

📑Read | Stories of the New Khan Family in Indian Cricket

👓 Watch | One of the best Thank you speeches of course after Tendulkars :)

📑Read | From childhood buddies to cricket stars: The Romario-Shamar story

🎧 Listen | KP on his 2012 Innings

📑Read | Magic in the air, mess on the floor

MESSAGE FROM HQ

You are Invited!

We are opening up access to Cricket Huddle Insider again for 2024.

Who is this not for ? It’s not for every cricket fan. If you are just someone who catches up on cricket only in their free time, and watches only the big games and not otherwise then maybe this is not for you.

Who is it for ? If you are someone who loves to get behind the scenes, likes to listen and ask questions to cricketing pros and get connected to the inside world of cricket more intimately, then this is for you.

In 2024 we already are starting our line up of talks and events. If you wish to become part of this - Apply to get on the list so you have the opportunity to be onboard.

That’s a wrap. We made this newsletter for you by hopping down some of our favorite internet rabbit holes. Stay thirsty. See you next week.

❤️ Waving,

Hoody & The Cricket Huddle Team

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