When watching cricket on Television, one of the greatest frustrations is that one does not have a clear view of the field. In four or five-day cricket, where the game is a slow, long-term tactical battle to get the batsman out, it is an annoyance not to be able to see what the captain is doing with his field to get wickets. In limited overs, it is troublesome not to be able to see what the captain is doing both to take wickets and to keep the run-rate down — where the batsman’s favourite areas are, and where the bowler is looking to bowl.

Before the ball has been bowled, the TV viewer, consciously or not, has a desire to work out what is going on. At the moment, this desire goes unsatisfied. Once the ball has reached the batsman and a shot has been played, the frustration at not knowing the field reaches its climax. One has no idea as to whether a fielder is going to stop or catch the shot the batsman has played. Possibly one of the most displeasing sights in cricket, if not the world, is that of a beautiful cover drive hurtling towards the boundary, only for an onrushing fielder to appear in the camera shot and stop or catch the four or six.

Until recently, not much could be done to solve this issue. However, a few years ago, a new camera system was introduced which could change cricket TV viewing forever.

Spidercam can Enhance Cricket on TV

The Spidercam — a trademark name — is a system which allows a camera to view an area from above both horizontally and vertically. Four winches in different corners of an area are attached to cables, which are connected to a camera-carrier with a gyroscope (known as a dolly), and these winches allow the cables and camera to move freely across the entire area. This has been revolutionary for sports broadcasters, as it gives an aerial view of all areas of the pitch or court.

In cricket, the Spidercam was first used in the now defunct Indian Cricket League (2007-09). After that, it was used in the 2010 Indian Premier League semi-finals, and the following Champions League Twenty20 in South Africa. Ever since, Spidercam has often been seen in limited overs matches and, after its first appearance at The Gabba in 2012, has slowly crept into Test cricket.

This aerial view has and should continue to change the way viewers can watch cricket. However, there are still some issues which need ironing out. The main issue is the position of the camera. Cricket balls can fly very high, and this has caused some problems in matches where Spidercam has been used.

In the 2012 Champions League Twenty20, Dinesh Karthik of the Mumbai Indians managed to strike the ball into the Spidercam. Fortunately, the camera was not damaged, but what was clearly going for a boundary had to be called a dead ball. During the fourth Test in the 2014-2015 Gavaskar-Border Trophy series between India and Australia, Steve Smith dropped a catch which he later blamed on the Spidercam supporting wire being in his line of sight. The Australian coach, Darren Lehmann, was more diplomatic about the issue. He said that the system was good for the game and that all that was needed was for the camera to be moved into a position, such as the off side, which was less likely to interfere with air-bound shots.

Work has been done to sort this problem out, and no further incidents have occurred since Smith’s drop. Once this matter is fully settled, the producers must work to make sure that they get as much use out of Spidercam as possible. At the moment, it is used for stunning visual effects, focusing mainly on the batsman or bowler and providing great pictures for newspapers, websites and even fans with great visual curiosity. Whilst this is aesthetically pleasing, Spidercam can be used to more practical effect.

Seeing that the camera can move anywhere in the stadium, what would be ideal would be for the camera to give a bird’s-eye view of the field every now and then. This would not need to be the sole use of the camera, as these artistic images have been staggering at times, but this addition would be a great help to viewers. This is not to say that the Spidercam has never shown an elevated view of the pitch, more that it can be done more often. Nor should it be done ad nauseam; a bird’s-eye view of the field every few overs, or whenever the captain makes a field change, would be more than enough. As the idea develops, perhaps a “Red Button” feature, or something of that ilk, could come into play, allowing viewers to view the field at their own discretion.

As modern technology improves, new ways of enhancing the virtual experience will always come to the fore. It is unlikely that TV will ever get close to the experience of watching cricket live, but giving the viewer a similar or even better view of proceedings than the live spectator would make the substitute of watching cricket on a screen all the more fulfilling. A huge step in the right direction would be to offer viewers a clear view of the field on a more regular basis.