During a panel discussion at the 15th MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, former Indian cricket team captain Rahul Dravid opined that technology can be used to provide a platform for cricket that can produce a good contest.
Dravid Speaks on Use of Data in Cricket
Technology has been major part of cricket to help the management in strategizing and player selection. But Rahul Dravid believes it should do more than that. Rahul Dravid was part of a panel discussion at the 15th MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. He said, “Data should drive a good contest between bat and ball in cricket, not just for hitting fours and sixes.” He contoured, “Cricket has always been statistically-driven like baseball, but over the past 15 years we have moved beyond comparing averages and now use data to help in strategy and player selection.”
The debate regarding cricket being more of a batsmen friendly game is not new. Especially in the limited-overs format, the use of powerplay and two new balls from both ends tend to favour the batsmen more. So speaking on the same, Dravid highlighted the fact how data should be used to create a good contest.
Kirsten and Guha join Dravid
“The days are not far off when people are going to turn down a single because the matchup suites them to be able to hit a six in the two or three balls,” said Dravid. “Data should drive a good contest between bat and ball in cricket, not just for hitting fours and sixes.”
Along with Dravid former South Africa batsman and Indian cricket team coach Gary Kirsten and England woman cricketer Isa Guha were part of the discussion. The also said that data analysis should play a bigger and larger role.
Guha highlighted how youngsters can be benefited nowadays with technology to understand the player profiles from opposition camp. Kirsten, on the other hand, called data just an enabler.
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