A breakthrough catch or a run out can turn a cricket match on its head. In an era that has witnessed countless historic games, which were decided by the narrowest of margins, the dialogue around fielding strategies has become ever more relevant. Quidich Tracker or QT is a first of its kind, custom built technology for cricket, providing real-time optical tracking of players on the field. Traditionally, stories have been built around batting and bowling strategies, with limited data and analytics focussed on fielding strategy. QT is a solution that enhances the storytelling of cricket, by providing the viewers a graphic visual of live field positions of all players in the field of play. QT empowers broadcasters to highlight field changes that may not have been captured by any other camera, to tell a more complete story about a Captain's and bowlers thought process.
The ICC World Test Championship Final between India and New Zealand at the Ageas Bowl, Southampton was a marquee celebration of Test Cricket. We witnessed an outstanding game that will live long in the memories of cricket fans around the world. The QT field plot was used on-air over 200 times during the course of the match, clearly testament to the value that the technology brought to the viewers. Commentators used the tool effectively to educate the audience, and help add insights to fielding positions and strategies.
Some of the key features used during the game included real-time player highlights during field changes, data integrations such as batsmen wagon wheels and analytics derived from distances between fielders. The plot was neatly enveloped with a digital twin of The Ageas Bowl as a 3D model , showcasing intricate structures of the stadium such as the Hilton Hotel.
A key moment during the game was when a miss-timed pull from Rahane prompted Williamson to make a field change. This was spotted by the system and was immediately highlighted on the plot as the fielder moved from the off-side to an unorthodox square leg position. This was picked up and the very next ball, Rahane was caught in exactly the same position which made a very interesting storytelling incident. This sequence of Ajinkya Rahane dismissal was a brilliant testament to QT’s value in pre-empire analysis.
With QT and its further development, Quidich aims to gamify the future of sports broadcast and further its goal of being a one-stop technology solutions provider to global sports broadcasters.
