The Hindu : Sport / Hockey : `Desi' analytical tool may give Indian cricket a `cyber edge'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 29, 2004

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Sport - Hockey

`Desi' analytical tool may give Indian cricket a `cyber edge'

By Anand Parthasarathy

BANGALORE, SEPT. 28. Two Bangalore-based cricket enthusiasts have joined hands to create a wide-ranging computer-based analytical tool that is drawing plaudits from coaches and players world-wide.

The software that runs on Windows-based PCs and laptops, analyses the strength and weakness of a cricketer in all departments with detailed statistics, based on every ball played, supported by graphics and appropriate video clippings. The player can pinpoint his strengths and weaknesses; while for the coach, the reports generated, provide a powerful tool to plan a strategy against the opponents.

The software called "In `N' Out" has drawn praise for its easy interfaces and its on-the-fly graphic analytical aids from leading coaches and administrators of the cricketing nations who have seen it. It is the work of 28-year old Prasanna Raman, a senior software engineer with the Bangalore-based Annapolis Technologies, working in his spare time. He is a qualified umpire of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association and has played for TNCA Colts. Mr. Raman has been mentored by Srikanth Ramalingam, a level 2 certified coach - currently coaching the Orissa under-25 team - and a former first class cricketer between 1992 and 1996 for Orissa.

Wright impressed

"I am very impressed with what you guys have done. It has been of great help to me and I will be talking to you about the finer details of the software", Indian coach John Wright promised the developer duo in Bangalore today. Indian coaches, E.A.S. Prasanna, Bishan Singh Bedi, Kiran More and many current Indian players are said to have evaluated the software and found it provides valuable insights for strategy.

During an exclusive preview of their product for The Hindu the developers claimed that "In `N' Out" improved on existing analytical aids by providing a full range of graphic tools for displaying detailed batting, bowling and fielding statistics.

(A): A batsman can analyse himself against a particular bowler, bowler's guard, delivery type, height of the ball, particular field position, pitch of the ball, shot type, shots played. On selection of any of the parameters, the statistics change dynamically and the appropriate video clippings can be seen with the normal speed, slow motion and frame by frame.

(A): A bowler can assess himself against a particular batsman, his bowling guard, delivery type, height of the ball, particular field position, pitch of the ball, shot played by the batsmen.

(A): The fielder module gives a detailed analysis of all the field positions he has fielded and the runs lost and runs saved for every field position. There are several subsections like fumble, inaccurate throw, over throw and catches dropped for the respective field position along with the video clips. This module helps the coach in analysing which fielder is comfortable in which position.

Most leading cricketing nations these days, harness computer technology to hone their performance - but for obvious reasons the exact details are a well-kept secret. The Indian team too is known to be currently using a tool called e-Cricket Pro, but the Prasanna-Srikanth software appears to be more wide ranging and graphical in what it does.

From the number of emails that the duo has received from foreign cricket administrators and coaches, their product is perceived to provide a definite edge. They have offered it to the BCCI. "We will not think about selling it to other countries till our own team has had a chance to evaluate it and decide if this will help them", Mr. Prasanna says.

He can be contacted by email at prasanna_urs@rediff.com.

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