Its people; Not Technology!
July 22nd 2011 13:02
I am watching the vociferously built up first Test between England and India. With Zaheer being lost to the Indian bowling lineup, who do we see take the ball - it is M.S.Dhoni himself! Rahul Dravid - the perpetual backup and a captain's dream dons the big gloves.
First ball after lunch and Dhoni ambles in to deliver a warm up delivery outside off stump. Pietersen almost gave a wicket to Dhoni. Only the fact that he was struck outside the line saved him. Subsequently - in his second over - Dhoni got a ball to bounce off a length outside off stump. Pietersen fished for it, there was a sound and a collective roar from the Indians on the field. Billy gave it out! Huge drama. Pietersen immediately asked for a review. After that came the hilarity.
There were three eminent people doing commentary - Nasser Hussain, Gavaskar and Alan Wilkins. And all three failed to observe the slow motion replays and call things as they needed to be. Pietersen brushed his bat against the top of his left pad and that was the noise. Hot Spot even showed a glowing white spot at the bottom of his bat's inside edge to signify this. But all this was lost on these eminent personalities!
Which leads me to the point of this little piece - it is not just technology which matters, but the training of the people who interpret it. This is not a piddling little thing to be dismissed. Just as a great cricketer does not necessarily make a great cricketing coach, a former player does not automatically become a greater interpreter of technology.
The powers that be - here is your cue to start off a course which attempts to train umpires and aspiring umpires on the nuances of using and drawing interpretations from technology in cricket.
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