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| Snickometer | |
|---|---|
| Name | Snickometer |
| Inventors | Peter Brancazio |
| Introduced | 1990s |
| Applications | Cricket |
| Related | Hot Spot, DRS, hawk-eye |
Snickometer Snickometer is an audio-visual technology used in cricket to detect faint sounds when a ball passes a bat or pad, aiding match officials during televised matches. Developed in the 1990s, it became one of the tools integrated into the Decision Review System discussions involving umpires from competitions organized by bodies such as the International Cricket Council and national boards like the Marylebone Cricket Club and Board of Control for Cricket in India. Broadcasters including BBC Sport, Sky Sports, Nine Network, Star Sports, and ESPNcricinfo popularized its use alongside other broadcast technologies.
The concept emerged during an era of technological innovation in televised cricket when broadcasters such as Channel 4 and Network Ten sought better ways to adjudicate contentious moments involving players like Sachin Tendulkar, Sachin Tendulkar-era controversies, Ricky Ponting, Brian Lara, and Shane Warne. Early audio-analysis experiments in cricket were influenced by research at institutions like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and inventions by engineers analogous to Peter Brancazio. Trials took place during tours involving teams such as Australia national cricket team, England cricket team, India national cricket team, and Pakistan national cricket team in matches hosted at venues like Lord's, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Eden Gardens, and Wankhede Stadium. The technology gained traction as the International Cricket Council debated formal adoption of technological aids during ICC Cricket World Cup tournaments and ICC Test Championship fixtures.
The system pairs a high-sensitivity microphone with an ultra-high-speed camera and sophisticated signal-processing hardware developed by firms akin to Sony, Rohde & Schwarz, and research groups at Cambridge University and Imperial College London. Audio waveforms are synchronized with frame-by-frame video from manufacturers such as Panasonic and Canon; algorithms from companies like Microsoft Research and Bell Labs align timestamps using standards derived from work at National Physical Laboratory (UK). Output is displayed on broadcast graphics units produced by vendors similar to Grass Valley and Vizrt, enabling analysts, commentators from Sky Sports Cricket and ESPN and match referees affiliated with International Cricket Council to review instances involving players including Kumar Sangakkara, Jacques Kallis, Adam Gilchrist, and Kumar Sangakkara-era debates.
During play, on-field umpires such as Aleem Dar, Simon Taufel, Dickie Bird, and Dale Steyn or third umpires like Kumar Dharmasena consult television replays incorporating the system along with technologies used in matches featuring teams like South Africa national cricket team and New Zealand national cricket team. Operators capture audio signals from microphones positioned near the pitch; these are displayed alongside video replays with input from broadcasters like BBC Sport and Fox Sports. The tool is routinely used in appeals for LBW and caught-behind decisions involving players such as Joe Root, Virat Kohli, Ben Stokes, and Kane Williamson. It became part of workflows during Ashes series encounters and Indian Premier League fixtures, often referenced during discussions led by match referees from bodies like the International Cricket Council.
Snickometer is often compared with technologies such as Hot Spot, which uses thermal imaging developed from research at institutions like CSIRO, and trajectory systems such as hawk-eye created by developers at Mediapro/ESPN affiliates and firms like Hawk-Eye Innovations. Other related systems include ball-tracking components used in Decision Review System implementations and microphone arrays similar to those trialed by broadcasters such as Sky Sports and Star Sports. Graphics suites from vendors like Hawk-Eye Innovations and HBS integrate multiple data streams, while thermal solutions from organizations with ties to CSIRO emphasize contact detection rather than audio signature. Major events such as the ICC World Twenty20 and ICC Champions Trophy have seen combinations of these systems employed concurrently.
Criticism has arisen from international players including Michael Clarke, AB de Villiers, Kevin Pietersen, and commentators from outlets like The Guardian, The Times, and ESPNcricinfo over false positives and interpretation difficulties. Limitations stem from ambient noise at venues like Eden Gardens and MCG, interference from commentators and stadium announcements managed by operators from companies such as Sony or Sennheiser, and the challenge of isolating bat-on-ball sounds from pad contact or ball seam noise during matches involving teams like Sri Lanka national cricket team and West Indies cricket team. Debates in forums such as those hosted by Marylebone Cricket Club panels and International Cricket Council committees have addressed calibration, standardization, and the weight of audio evidence versus thermal evidence from systems like Hot Spot.
The technology influenced umpiring trajectories for officials like Simon Taufel, Dale Steyn-era third umpires, Kumar Dharmasena, and Aleem Dar by providing supplementary evidence in match decisions during Ashes series, ICC Cricket World Cup matches, and high-profile Indian Premier League games. Its incorporation into broadcast-led reviews altered how teams such as Australia national cricket team, England cricket team, India national cricket team, and South Africa national cricket team approached referrals, affecting outcomes involving players like Chris Gayle, Glenn McGrath, Anil Kumble, and Muttiah Muralitharan. Governing bodies including International Cricket Council and traditional institutions like Marylebone Cricket Club continue to evaluate its role amid technological convergence with systems such as Hot Spot and hawk-eye.
Category:Cricket equipment