Cricket and Cameras – the marvels of technology

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How much has the quality of a live cricket telecast improved in the past decade? The broadcasts of the second most watched sport in the world have no doubt inproved by tenfold, providing the eager viewers with access to footage which was only a dream a decade ago.

It is not easy to become a cricket videographer

Despite innovative technology playing a key role in the modern gentlemen’s game, the main tool that makes it possible to bring the live action of the field and its surrounding is the video camera. Apart from providing the viewer at home the ability to enjoy the game at his/her convenience, cameras also assist the Umpires to make more accurate decisions which had to be earlier made on instinct.

Camera placement at a modern-day cricket match

Script

A live telecast of a cricket match involves a script. The live program director is the captain of the ship and decides on the what the end users see on the screen. While mostly sticking to the pre-arranged script, the team of videographers under the supervision of the director try to capture candid moments like an injury to a player or a family member of a player celebrating, which adds color to the final product.

The production studio of the IPL

A senior videographer at ThePapare.com, who was the main source in penning this piece was of the view that,

“In any creation it’s the videographer who sees the picture before the director, if he only has a sense on the technology and not the picture, he will not be able to create a complete picture. We live in a picture medium, what we do as cameramen is basically draw, using light. Quality of the picture is what holds the most prominent place in our line of work and everything else comes after.”

Tharaka with the camera in hand alongside ThePapare.com crew during an athletic telecast

With the increasing want for more information by the viewers, the producers and the cricketing officials have had to increase the quality and the clarity of the footage while trying to increase the amount of data that is presented in every frame. During a live telecast, a large part of the responsibility lies with the videographer who is not able to take his eye off the camera for even a second as he risks missing the most important moment of the game. Below is an introduction to some of the latest tools and technology that assists the process of bringing live pictures to your living room.

Stump cam

This is an angle which cannot be replicated by any other camera

This is the oldest technology that was infused to cricket, the stump with a camera placed in the middle stump. This provides crucial angles on stumpings and the batting crease while the latest addition, the stump mic provides in-play audio which brings the game closer to the viewer at home.

Stump cam denoted by the arear circled in red.

Third umpire cameras

Essential for capturing movements not visible for the naked eye

A fact only a few Sri Lankans know is that third umpire technology was first introduced by a Sri Lankan. The technology which was introduced by Mr. Mahinda Wijesinghe was first used in a Test match in the year 1992. This addition has increased the accuracy of judgements and the excitement of the game undoubtedly.

Currently, for run out decisions, 4 static cameras are placed on either side of the crease.  Although it was only two cameras that were used in the beginning, it was then increased to the current number to curb out the complications that arose.

The four third cameras dedicated for the third umpire are static cameras

With the introduction of the ‘Decision Review System (DRS)’, where the players are entitled to review a decision made by the on-field umpire, capturing of footage has seen a terrific transformation. As an example, in the 2015 World Cup which was played in Australia and New Zealand, 29 high tech video cameras were used for the live telecast with 7 games brought to the viewers in 4K technology.

Super Slow Mo

“Here’s the replay” is a phrase commonly used by the commentators during play. While this feature mostly consists of slow motion replay, this technology has been in use since the latter part of the 1930’s. With the latest advancement in this technology, slow motion has been developed to super slow motion, providing the opportunity for the viewer to witness something that happened in the span of a split second over a couple of seconds.

today this technology has been infused into the latest mobile phones

This escalation provides us with the ability to witness high speed action which is not captured by the naked eye to be viewed at ease. Super Slow-Mo has been used in cricket for the past twenty years which has increased the transparency of the game.  

Spider Cam

Live sports productions continually strive to capture the moments the viewers at home dream of seeing. Through the technology of spider cam, fans are now able to get a ‘bird’s eye view’ of the action and also action from right within the playing area being at almost eye level with the players, which would have only being a dream a few years ago. Operated through four cables, this camera can reach the ground level action while also bringing views from above the playing field.

Bringing the carnival atmosphere to the screens

However, the introduction of this technology has had its shortfalls with the likes of former Australian test skipper Steven Smith once expressing that he was distracted by the spider cam which was in his line of sight while attempting to take a high catch.

GoPro

Action photography and action videography is a popular hobby amongst youth and through GoPro action cameras, which have seen rapid development since the year 2000, these action cameras are now capable of providing a stable output despite the movements of the person wearing it.  Used in the modern drones as well, GoPro cameras are used in commercial leagues around the world with the likes of the Big Bash League (BBL), Indian Premier league (IPL) and Caribbean Premier League (CPL) getting the umpires and the batsmen to wear them allowing the fans to enjoy a first person experience from the field of play.

Australian Adam Gilchirist with a GO pro mounted on his helmet

The rollicking bouncers that put the fear of God into the batsmen and the powerful drives that terrify the umpires and threaten to take their heads off are felt by the stay at homes thanks to these technological marvels.

Ball chasing camera

Ball condition is one of the most key factors in the game of cricket. It can determine the flow of the game and can have a telling effect on the ultimate outcome of the entire game. It is no secret that some players resort to unlawful methods to tamper with the ball in hopes of getting an unfair advantage. Hence, there is now a camera dedicated to chasing the ball throughout the game and this is how the Australian players, who were guilty of tampering with the ball during the South African tour, were caught red handed, leaving a massive black mark in the Australian cricketing legacy.

South African videographer Sotani Oscar revealed the scandalous Ball tampering saga to the world.

“පන්දුව පළුදු කිරීම” – දැනගෙන කරන්න

“පන්දුව පළුදු කිරීම” ක්‍රිකට් පන්දු යවන්නන්ට අවශ්‍ය වන්නේ කුමකටද? මෑත දී වැඩිපුර කතාබහට පාත්‍ර වූ …

Visual quality

This technology is used frequently to decide whether the catches are taken cleanly

With the advancement of video camera technology, its ability to capture true colors which comes marginally close to replicating the live sight has provided immense benefits to the decision making in the game. Due to the increased quality of the picture and the clarity, the ability to magnify a chosen frame using Ultra zoom in facility has been instrumental in making sure the transparency and the accuracy of many decisions are safeguarded.

Importance of visuals

it’s not the end of the road for technological advancements

A live telecast has not only become a main component in cricket but across almost all sporting disciplines. In a society where most of the fans are too busy to make their way to the venue to witness the game, live telecasts provide the avid fans the opportunity to experience the action as and when it happens from any corner of the world which has aided in the growth of sports and has also ensured that the organizers and the sponsors get their mileage through crystal clear visuals that dazzle audiences around the globe .

A translation of ක්‍රිකට් ක්‍රීඩාව කැමරාවෙන් අඳින හැටි