Debasis Sen, Colombo: Strange it may sound but La Liga giants FC Barcelona is being linked with Sri Lanka Cricket. The island cricket nation is using the same software used by football club Barcelona to manage its injury-prone cricketers of the national team. This is part of its preparations for the forthcoming ICC Cricket World Cup in England next year, according to board officials.
The Sri Lankan Cricket board has spent a whopping $75,000 on the software, adapting it to suit its cricketers. The SLC officials claim, the advanced software coupled with a match analysis system designed in-house, could boast the most advanced player management technology of any cricketing nation.
According to the team’s high-performance manager Simon Willis, the new technology would help selectors and managers monitor their squad’s performance with real-time data.
“This system will benefit the national team and allow evidence-based decisions to be made,” the former Kent coach addressed a media gathering today at the Sri Lankan Cricket Headquarters.
“It’s not cheap, but it is a good investment because it gives us instant information.” Sri Lanka’s cricketers will wear GPS devices during training and tournaments to monitor fitness and performance, he added.
Sri Lanka won the World Cup in 1996 but has not repeated the feat since, despite twice making the final. The island nation also won the World T20 in 2014 but has since tumbled down the rankings, hit by injuries and scandal.
Under new coach Chandika Hathurusingha, the side has been rebuilding after a year of humiliating defeats and few wins.
Sri Lanka bounced backed in a tour of Bangladesh in January, thrashing the host in all three formats of the game.
The technology has been rolled out during the ongoing home tri-nation series against India and Bangladesh, with players wearing the GPS devices during practice sessions.