Bat sensors get Champs Trophy debut

Australian batters will join players from other nations to pioneer new bat sensor technology during the upcoming Champions Trophy tournament.

Technology giant Intel has developed a sensor, placed on top of the bat handle, that provides previously unseen precise details about a player's bat speed and angle of back lift.

The aim is to both provide more information to television audiences and, longer term, develop a coaching aid.

Former England captain turned cricket broadcaster Nasser Hussain told a news conference at The Oval: "How many times have we spoken about people having 'fast hands' or 'great bat speed'?

"But what does that mean? We've never quantified it."

Each team is expected to have up to five players using the technology in the Champions Trophy. England allrounder Ben Stokes and opener Alex Hales, India's Rohit Sharma and Ravi Ashwin are among those to confirm they will use the devices.

Hussain said he would have benefitted had this technology been available in his career.

"When I first played for England, I had never really seen myself on television. I remember playing in Jamaica, getting out and walking through the hotel lobby and Geoffrey Boycott shouting at me 'Hussain, you'll never get any runs with that open bat face'.

"Something like this can show you the exact angle of your bat."

Hussain said England opener Jason Roy, going through a run drought that has yielded four single figure scores in his last five one-day international innings, might gain from the new system.

"Take Jason Roy, struggling a little bit at the moment. Say this technology had been in place for two or three years, he could have a net tomorrow, play normally, and then take the data from two years ago and say 'is everything I'm doing with my bat exactly the same as it was?' and if you know it was, you know that's not the issue."

"There will be traditionalists thinking 'is this relevant?'.

"But if it gives you that one percent to improve the game, someone will be using it."

Other innovations at the Champions Trophy include the use of drones to provide more in-depth pitch analysis and a virtual reality system that allows fans to don a headset and 'face' the world's best bowlers.

Champions Trophy 2017 Guide

AUSTRALIA SQUAD: Steve Smith (c), David Warner, Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, John Hastings, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa

Other squads: Every Champions Trophy squad

Group A: Australia, New Zealand, England, Bangladesh.

Group B: India, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Pakistan.

Schedule

Warm-up matches

26 May – Australia d Sri Lanka by two wickets, The Oval

27 May – Bangladesh lost to Pakistan by two wickets, Edgbaston

28 May – India d New Zealand by 45 runs (D/L Method), The Oval

29 May – Australia v Pakistan no result, Edgbaston

30 May – New Zealand d Sri Lanka by six wickets, Edgbaston

30 May – India d Bangladesh by 240 runs, The Oval

Tournament

1 June – England v Bangladesh, The Oval (Day)

2 June – Australia v New Zealand, Edgbaston (D)

3 June – Sri Lanka v South Africa, The Oval (D)

4 June – India v Pakistan, Edgbaston (D)

5 June – Australia v Bangladesh, The Oval (D/N)

6 June – England v New Zealand, Cardiff (D)

7 June – Pakistan v South Africa, Edgbaston (D/N)

8 June – India v Sri Lanka, The Oval (D)

9 June – New Zealand v Bangladesh, Cardiff (D)

10 June – England v Australia, Edgbaston (D)

11 June – India v South Africa, The Oval (D)

12 June – Sri Lanka v Pakistan, Cardiff (D)

14 June – First semi-final (A1 v B2), Cardiff (D)

15 June – Second semi-final (A2 v B1), Edgbaston (D)

18 June – Final, The Oval (D)

19 June – Reserve day (D)