The MCC will roll out a ‘smart’ cricket ball next summer that will revolutionise umpiring in the amateur game with the use of an app.
The ‘smart’ ball is designed to solve cricket’s declining number of umpires and ensure it can be played fairly and within the MCC’s Spirit of the Game, following a series of violent clashes over controversial decisions.
A microchip inserted into the ‘U1’ ball will connect to an app on the umpire’s phone via Bluetooth and provide tracking data for lbw decisions similar to that in the professional game. A microphone within the ball will also provide a function similar to ‘snicko’ by detecting the sound of an edge if a catch has been taken.
The number of umpires available for club and village cricket has declined in recent seasons, often leaving players to officiate their own matches, and contentious decisions made by members of the opposition have led to a number of high-profile incidents.
The ‘smart’ ball is designed to solve cricket’s declining number of umpires and ensure it can be played fairly and within the MCC’s Spirit of the Game, following a series of violent clashes over controversial decisions.
A microchip inserted into the ‘U1’ ball will connect to an app on the umpire’s phone via Bluetooth and provide tracking data for lbw decisions similar to that in the professional game. A microphone within the ball will also provide a function similar to ‘snicko’ by detecting the sound of an edge if a catch has been taken.
The number of umpires available for club and village cricket has declined in recent seasons, often leaving players to officiate their own matches, and contentious decisions made by members of the opposition have led to a number of high-profile incidents.
Telegraph UK 15 Nov
Now ponderiver won’t get so many hometown lbw decisions to pad his stats
A few concerns about this are the cost- a ball is going up from £16 to £59!!!
Some of these bush teams have forest on the boundary
Someone is going to have to operate the app!
But will hopefully eliminate the blatant cheating that has come into the game
