Technology will influence decision making even more in future, reckons Anil Kumble
Anil Kumble feels accepting technology in cricket is for the greater good
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Anil Kumble believes that there will be more technological influence on decision-making in cricket in future, citing the example of how the Decision Review System (DRS) has evolved the game. He also feels that the OTT (over the top) platforms will only enhance the use of technology in sport.
Former India captain Anil Kumble believes that there will be more technological influence on decision making in future.
Kumble, speaking at a webinar titled āBuilding Competitive Advantage through Sports Analytics and Data Intelligenceā, organised by Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai with Deakin University South Asia, cited how the DRS system has improved decision making in cricket. Kumble was captain of the India Test side when DRS was first put into practice during their tour of Sri Lanka in 2008.
āThere is the influence of DRS (Decision Review System) already in cricket and I am sure there will be more technological influence on decision making as we go along,ā he said.
āAlso the fact about playersā acceptance of being a part of this innovation, otherwise you will be left behind.ā
The Punjab Kings coach believed that with OTT platforms coming through, technology will continue to grow in the field of sport and broadcast.
āI know this, we are still sort of having that debate over, is this too much technology in sport or should I just go back to my own belief that āok I just watch the ball, hit the ball, thatās the simple way.
āYes, thatās the simple way, but then I think, if you donāt sort of adapt to technology thatās coming in and used the technology for the good of the game, I think people will be left behind.Ā
āI donāt see just the broadcasters influencing technology in the sport but even the federations will start looking at innovative ways of bringing in technology into sport.
āBecause all these years, it is been TV and broadcasters, who pushed these innovations, which is great for the game and as we move into other OTT platforms, there will be more technology coming into sport and that to me will be the biggest change that I see going forward.ā
Kumble, the fourth-highest wicket-taker in Tests with 619 scalps, further explained that the use of technology isn't restricted to umpring alone, as teams rely a lot on data-based stuff while strategising, especially in the shorter versions.
āThe dependence on data will be a lot more, because in a short game, as the format sort of gets shorter, from Test cricket, we have come to ODI cricket, then it is T20 now, then there is (The) Hundred," he said.
āSo as the game gets shorter, the dependence on data is far far more in putting together a squad, strategies, match-ups, we keep talking about match-ups and thatās how you sort of build a strategy around teams, so that will only be the driving factor.ā
