Anil Kumble's early reputation as a hard-working cricketer did not stem solely from his sporting spectacle. Even as he lured batsmen to destruction, the champion leg-spinner was studying for a degree in engineering.
Given his mechanical engineering degree and ability to analyze cricket down to the smallest detail, it was inevitable that Kumble would rely heavily on technology after his retirement. And thus Spektacom was born. Its flagship product is the AI-based Smart His Bat Sticker, which provides real-time insights into a player's shots.
“Cricket is a highly statistics-driven game, so there are a lot of opportunities to leverage AI,” says Kumble. “AI can be used for coaching, talent discovery, player selection, auctions, and even strategizing how you should bowl against a particular batsman in what situations. The biggest challenge in cricket is that there are too many variables. But once you start inputting the data, AI can help you narrow it down to the few most important variables under certain conditions.”
Use in prediction
According to Kumble, AI is currently mainly used for analytics. The predictive and strategic elements of AI are still in their infancy. “The more we use technology, the deeper we can work with data points, the deeper and more scientific our systems become, and these tools give us a competitive edge over other tools that don't use that technology. ” he says.
He says some other sports use AI much more intensively than cricket. “In golf, there's so much competition and you make the most of it. In F1, people use it. It's a matter of milliseconds, so you need that advantage. There's a lot of fencing. I didn't know until recently that they were using technology.'' Cricket is far behind in terms of leveraging technology. ”
Kumble says AI is all about data. “Using existing open source tools, we can build algorithms that help us decipher so many things faster, and in real time.”
For example, with the Smart Bat Sticker, if you have to hit 100 balls, the Smart Sticker can identify that you hit only 20 balls from the sweet spot. Next, you need to improve your numbers by changing your grip, stance, how you swing the bat, and looking at the ball closer. However, there may be a problem with the bat itself. “If the smart sticker shows that only 20 balls hit the sweet spot and 70 balls hit an inch above the sweet spot, can you make the sweet spot higher or make it a little longer? It helps you decide whether to use a blade or a handle. It improves the efficiency of your stroke making,” says Kumble. He said the model also understands how you bat and automatically corrects the algorithm.
please the fans
AI can also improve the fan experience and encourage interaction through the insights it provides, Kumble said. That predictive touch, he says, will add greater appeal and potential.
He says that technology replacing the human element is not in itself a bad thing. “What we have to be careful about is the deployment of the technology itself. We have to thoroughly investigate and test it and make sure that the tests are done live as well. Currently, the tests are done live and “It's all done in a lab. It's very difficult to test live.”
R Kaushik is a cricket writer and author
Given his mechanical engineering degree and ability to analyze cricket down to the smallest detail, it was inevitable that Kumble would rely heavily on technology after his retirement. And thus Spektacom was born. Its flagship product is the AI-based Smart His Bat Sticker, which provides real-time insights into a player's shots.
“Cricket is a highly statistics-driven game, so there are a lot of opportunities to leverage AI,” says Kumble. “AI can be used for coaching, talent discovery, player selection, auctions, and even strategizing how you should bowl against a particular batsman in what situations. The biggest challenge in cricket is that there are too many variables. But once you start inputting the data, AI can help you narrow it down to the few most important variables under certain conditions.”
Use in prediction
According to Kumble, AI is currently mainly used for analytics. The predictive and strategic elements of AI are still in their infancy. “The more we use technology, the deeper we can work with data points, the deeper and more scientific our systems become, and these tools give us a competitive edge over other tools that don't use that technology. ” he says.
He says some other sports use AI much more intensively than cricket. “In golf, there's so much competition and you make the most of it. In F1, people use it. It's a matter of milliseconds, so you need that advantage. There's a lot of fencing. I didn't know until recently that they were using technology.'' Cricket is far behind in terms of leveraging technology. ”
Kumble says AI is all about data. “Using existing open source tools, we can build algorithms that help us decipher so many things faster, and in real time.”
For example, with the Smart Bat Sticker, if you have to hit 100 balls, the Smart Sticker can identify that you hit only 20 balls from the sweet spot. Next, you need to improve your numbers by changing your grip, stance, how you swing the bat, and looking at the ball closer. However, there may be a problem with the bat itself. “If the smart sticker shows that only 20 balls hit the sweet spot and 70 balls hit an inch above the sweet spot, can you make the sweet spot higher or make it a little longer? It helps you decide whether to use a blade or a handle. It improves the efficiency of your stroke making,” says Kumble. He said the model also understands how you bat and automatically corrects the algorithm.
please the fans
AI can also improve the fan experience and encourage interaction through the insights it provides, Kumble said. That predictive touch, he says, will add greater appeal and potential.
He says that technology replacing the human element is not in itself a bad thing. “What we have to be careful about is the deployment of the technology itself. We have to thoroughly investigate and test it and make sure that the tests are done live as well. Currently, the tests are done live and “It's all done in a lab. It's very difficult to test live.”
R Kaushik is a cricket writer and author
