BBL: Glowing wickets and helmet cameras

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Talk of innovations and using new technology in cricket, the Australians are unarguably the trailblazers. It was Australia where for the very first time coloured clothing, white balls and day-night matches were introduced, which later became the norm of the game. Be it fixing of cameras in different locations or playing cricket in a roofed stadium, Aussies are always the discoverers.

[caption id="attachment_145" align="alignright" width="300"] ‘Zing Stumps’ start flashing as the wicket is broken (Photo: Getty Images)[/caption]

While the spacious grounds across Australia filled to capacity are enough to provide a  best possible environment for the game, it would be a remarkable addition to see technological innovations unveiled.

In the current T20 Big Bash League (BBL), too, Australians continue to pursue their tradition of changing the traditions in cricket. In the league’s first match on Friday in Melbourne, for the first time such bails were used which started flashing as the wicket is broken. Fans practically saw that happen in the match between Melbourne Renegades and Melbourne Stars in Docklands Stadium.

The Australian-designed Zing Wicket System is a joint project of Fox Sports and Cricket Australia. In addition to entertain the spectators and the TV viewers, the technology may help umpires in future to make even better decisions. Especially, it can play a pivotal role in run-out decisions as the third umpire often finds it difficult to decide when the wicket is broken.

Presently, the sole purpose of the system is to entertain cricket fans and it needs to come under close scrutiny before being able to help umpires in their decisions.

Besides these light-up bails and stumps, the league is also featuring a helmet camera on batsmen and wicket-keepers that will give viewers a new different look at the game.

The league is also introducing an aerial camera—named FoxKopter—that will be hovering over the stadium giving fans unique view of the game.

The league will continue till January 19. All key Australian players are part of the event along with famous players from around the world, including Saeed Ajmal and Azhar Mehmood (Pakistan), Daniel Vettori (New Zealand), Dale Steyn (South Africa), Muttiah Muralitharan and Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka).