Lights, bails, OUT - ICC's tryst with LED 'Zing' bails
ICC’s latest tryst with technology – The ‘Zing’ bails
The lights flashes as the bail dislodges, and it’s a delight for both the bowler and the spectators as the wickets keep flashing bright red.
The use of LED zing bails by the ICC in the ongoing World T20 has been a visual delight for the spectators. ICC’s latest tryst with new technologies has sparked a sudden interest in this new idea adapted from the KFC Big Bash down under.
Spectators were hoping to see it in the IPL last summer after the Big Bash implemented it in the 2013 season. It now seems like ICC is one step ahead of the lot when it comes to implementing new technologies. Like with all other technologies, the LED bails have also had its share of controversy.
Cricket’s apex body will be hoping that unlike DRS, the LED zing bails will provide a new leash of life to its controversial technology adaptations. In this year’s Big Bash, a curious incident had raised the eyebrows of a few veterans of the game.
In the match between Melbourne stars and Sydney Thunders, Tillakaratne Dilshan tried dislodging the bails to get David Hussey run out at the non-striker’s end after Brad Hodge hit the ball straight across to the bowler. To everyone’s surprise, the bails fell back to their position after getting dislodged while flashing the lights.
Apparently, the LED bails are heavier than the normal wooden bails used, but are lighter than the ones used during windy conditions. Barring this incident, nothing else has been reported against the zing bails. It needs to be seen if any more untoward incidents of this sort gets repeated in the ongoing World Cup.
The wickets having the LED’s glow on the slightest impact, and the bails send the radio signals to the stumps which glows immediately on impact. The high tech bails are marketed as “Zings” by an Australian tech firm and gone are the days when cricketers could walk away with the bails as a souvenir of the match.
The bails cost around 40,000 USD, and apart from the aesthetics of seeing the bails glow on the slightest impact, is a boon for umpires while making close calls during stumpings and tight run-outs. It needs to be seen whether these bails will make their debut in the IPL next month.