Cricket: Advancement in technology and improvement in infrastructure is the need of the hour

In such scenarios, the practicality of the closed roof decreases even more as the roofs are made of solid metal constructs which inhibits the light from entering. Though some arrangements of alternative lights can be used which are attached to the stadium roof, it’s not possible (yet) to get equally powerful lights to work on the closing of the roof. And the fact that the secondary air shafts circulate ionized air for both crowds and players, it becomes difficult to gauge the level of purity of the incoming air, which, if not done properly, hampers the players.

Also, the fact is that in cricket the presence of at least 13 cricketers on the field increases the intake of air because of the intensity of their respective activities, making it harder to estimate the air level requirements, not to mention the extra ball-boys and ground staff that are present in addition to the players and crowds. If at any time in the future the technology does come into use, it should be designed in such a way that the current short-comings are sorted out.

Even with the approvals, the technology and infrastructure gain, the funding required to carry out the work should be available. The only way the whole cricketing world is going to embrace the technology is if some incentives are provided to each country by the controlling body of the country and the ICC. Also, the maintenance should be carried out diligently. If these situations are met, I see no problem in the implementation of advanced technology. Though currently the cons outweigh the pros, nothing can be established without the required hard work, and if the motive is present, the acceptance of the technology will come, sooner or later. The same thing was said about the use of DRS, but currently, other than India, everyone is using it, and all nations will use it once evidence of its refinement is shown. The current system will only get better with time, and that’s when we can truly appreciate the power of technology and infrastructure. They say good things come to those who wait, but without work and planning, nothing can be achieved.

If the correct steps are taken, they’re bound to affect the game, and in a good way too. If the sport is played in high spirits, it can only benefit the game and the viewers, which essentially is the aim of any sport, let alone cricket. But it is safe to say that the inclusion of technology is the best thing to have happened to cricket; to be able to make a system almost fool-proof is extraordinary. Though we have a long way to go, we do have time on our side. If the planning is done and carried out meticulously, we may well be looking at a time when nothing except the talent and hard-work of cricketers gets them the results. ‘Luck’, for one, can’t be ruled out; it’s an entity that cannot be estimated or calculated, but if the execution of the said plans is flawless, cricket may become the most error proof sport in the world someday.

Whether we can weather the storm (forgive the pun) or not, only time will tell. But if the hard work is sustained, we can hope for the best. And as Ravi Shastry says – “In the end, cricket will be the winner”. Here’s to technology!