Sachin bats for technology

Dubai - India's cricket icon inaugurated an online retail initiative launched by Aster Pharmacy

For a player who was skeptical about technology after he was given out by the third umpire in 1992, Sachin Tendulkar did a U-turn when he said he backs the use of technology.
"Technology is always good," said India's cricket icon on Monday after inaugurating an online retail initiative launched by Aster Pharmacy.
The master blaster has many 'firsts' to his credit. He is the first batsman to have scored one hundred international centuries, the first batsman to score a double century in an ODI and the only player to complete more than 30,000 runs in international cricket.
But what surprised one and all when he said he holds one more record.
"When it comes to technology in cricket there also I hold a record. I was the first to be given run out by the third umpire in South Africa in 1992," he said as the audience burst into laughter.
"That was the time I said it (technology) shouldn't have been there," added the 43-year-old.
"Technology is good when you are fielding but not when you are batting. We always look forward to the red light when we are fielding but not when we are batting as your always praying 'oh God' please show me that green light and let me continue batting but on that particular occasion (in South Africa) it wasn't the case."
Going down memory lane, Sachin recalled, "I still remember in 2002 or so, laptop entered the dressing room with cameras and all that. I said what is a laptop doing in a dressing room. It's not going to teach us how to bat. But we engaged ourselves a little more in what could be done and what could be achieved out of having laptops and few cameras around during practice sessions and also making sure that the data was recorded.
"Later we realised it was a device which could actually show us within seconds what happened in 1999 in the third over in Melbourne. You could actually do that.
"Things have gone a step further. Recently while sitting in the IPL dugout I was chatting with our analyst and he showed us what data we have. I was looking to check on an IPL player, where his scoring areas were and you can actually see in the first seven overs which are the areas the player has hit the ball, how many runs he scored, how many boundaries, sixes he hit, which are his uncomfortable areas and so on and so forth.
"Also technology has made spectators' viewing rather interesting because this is the first time where we have seen when the ball hits the stumps and the bails are dislodged all three stumps light up and that has just added bits and pieces for great viewership."
Sachin concluded by saying, "I'm always in favour of technology and innovation."
clareto@khaleejtimes.com