Royal Challengers Bangalore women’s team is all set to take a big step forward on Artificial Intelligence (AI) to unearth talent from every corner of the country, Director of Cricket Mike Hesson said on Thursday.
While the team management will not give up the time-tested method of sending scouts to unearth promising talent, RCB will also be deploying AI technology to complement their efforts.
“We feel our scouting needs to go a little deeper than just sending regular scouts for tournaments. There’s a lot of untapped talent and potential across the country,” Hesson said at a press conference ahead of the Women’s Premier League (WPL). “
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“So, we have an artificial intelligence system where we look at a few key metrics. From a bowling perspective it will be around pace. From a batting perspective, it will be around different positions that they will be in. Once If we spot talent out there, we can bring them to camps or we can go and see them at specific tournaments.”
Hesson said that RCB is looking to train talent at a very young age and groom them adequately.
“We’re trying to look beyond just mainstream tournaments or first-class cricket or state cricket. We’re trying to look at underage talent, talent from every corner of the country, people who have potentially been there before. Haven’t been in teams since,” he said.
“The players we are looking at could actually be a year away from being a part of RCB. But we can recognize them, we can watch them from time to time and see how they develop. Of course we also work in both the men’s and women’s program,” Hesson said.
RCB may have a notable roster in their ranks with Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Heather Knight and Dane van Niekerk but head coach Ben Sauer is clear that big names will be rotated during the WPL starting on Saturday.
Along with these four famous names, RCB have also included legendary New Zealander Sophie Devine and WBBL (Big Bash League) star Erin Burns, and Sawyer admitted that he is spoiled for choice.
When asked about his picks as the top four overseas players, Sawyer, the current coach of the New Zealand women’s team, did not give a straight answer.
“All six will play a role. We play four games in the first six days. We’ll have different matches against teams and I’m lucky to have them,” Sawyer said.
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“Don’t expect us to work with the same four players for the entire tournament. We have some multi-skilled players. Certainly you will see all six in the tournament,” Sawyer said.
Sawyer, who has coached The Hundred and WBBL, is confident that the WPL will take women’s cricket to a new level.
“It is a scary thought for an international player what they are going to do in the future. I have seen the impact of WBBL and The Hundred. This (WPL) is just going to take it (women’s cricket) to another level.” The Indian women’s team is yet to win a global trophy at the senior level and are sometimes referred to as “chokers”. Will the WPL help him get rid of the mental block in crunch games, Sawyer was sympathetic.
“After winning a game or two, there will be no stopping the Indian team.” The 45-year-old has officiated in women’s franchise leagues in England (Birmingham Phoenix – The Hundred) and Australia (Sydney Sixers – WBBL). , and based on those experiences, he said that it is only in the early years of the league tournament that big names matter, before each member of the team understands their role and becomes an important cog.
“Maybe in the beginning you are relying on the big names, but in seven-eight years’ time, every single player in the team had an important role to play and it was no longer seen as just making numbers,” he added. Said, remembering the early days in WBBL.
“The experience some young players will get at the international level will take them to another level. They will get a chance to play international style cricket during the week and weekend during the competition.”
Hesson describes Sania as role model
The team’s Director of Cricket Mike Hesson believes that India’s tennis great Sania Mirza is a role model and her induction as RCB’s mentor for the upcoming WPL will inspire the team.
The 36-year-old six-time Grand Slam winner recently retired from tennis.
“No matter what sport you are from, but coming in as an elite and challenging the norms in terms of an athlete, accepting pressure and how to deal with it, and not be afraid of it, women’s sports For me, Sania is a huge icon,” Hesson said.
Hesson said RCB has enough experts to talk about the technical nuances of the game and the former world number one in doubles will give the players an edge by talking about the mental challenges they face in their professional career.
He added, “The more you talk about the pressure and the emotion of the game, and the challenges rather than talking about technique, for which we have so many experts, I think it is exciting.”
The WPL will begin on March 4 with Gujarat Giants taking on Mumbai Indians.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)