Comments on: Bring on the Quant revolution

By: Nonstructural

Nonstructural — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 04:36:52 +0000

Somehow i missed the point. Probably lost in translation Anyway … nice blog to visit.

cheers, Nonstructural.

By: srivaths

srivaths — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 23:42:02 +0000

Our selectors have not been very good and in general, they don’t seem to be appointed on the basis of competence. There is no doubt an administrative problem but cricket selection is anyway a tough job. You need to compare players with different skill sets and judge how suitable they will be to varying conditions, formats and opposition teams. New and hopefully better player evaluation techniques won’t hurt the cause.

By: Sir Vibhudi Aatmapudi

Sir Vibhudi Aatmapudi — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:54:38 +0000

I can buy your argument which is soundly reasoned.Going further, the selection matters that you mentioned are administrative. Taking a selectorial decision is also part of a performance-based trial for a selector. Unfortunately it is not considered as such.

By: srivaths

srivaths — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 23:43:02 +0000

SVA: Why do you assume that using statistics to better understand the value of a player will stop us from making judgements based on background, temperament and ability. It is not an either/or situation; even advanced stats are meant merely to confirm intuition or if they appear to be counter-intuitive, are meant to make us stop and question our assumptions. For a while now, our selections have been lurching from one end to the other on the question of whether to select younger players who are better at fielding and running between the wickets or to rely on old hands. Surely an attempt to quantify and better understand the value of fielding and running between the wickets advances the standard of the debate. Again, I reiterate that even the most advanced stats will serve only as supplements and not as substitutes to sound judgement.

And the use of statistics will not diminish or prevent the selections of players with skill, finesse and grace. If you agree with my assertion that it is only the players of great skill and temperament who will perform under all conditions, using stats (like the ones I have suggested) to understand their worth will, if anything, illustrate how much better these players are compared to the dregs of the game who pad their averages with performances against weak opposition. A Dravid or a Sangakkara puts up scores when everyone else fails; I’m sure you’ll agree that it is in our interest to understand the true value of this.

As for the Americans, I can only speak for basketball but they too value the same things we hold dear (skill, temperament etc.) even as they value stats. The best player of the day, Kobe Bryant and the kid who will become the best in the future, Kevin Durant are both players of enormous skill, finesse and grace brought up in the finest traditions of their game. Some things will never die.

By: Sir Vibhudi Aatmapudi

Sir Vibhudi Aatmapudi — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 21:30:14 +0000

This is good news for those who like to bet large sums on the outcome of a game/player. Otehr than that, the only ones who would be interested in recalling stats with obvious glee would be the statisticans themselves, the geeks and the commentators. I’d like to know what it has for a connoiseur of the sport?

These stat-based evaluation solutions could be being applied at cricket administration level far more than at the players level. Besides, a glut of stats are making this whole proposition similar to those applied in US-originated sports. For long have Baseball and American Football marketers lured a public into believing that performance measured through statistics is more exciting than skill, finesse, grace and all things human that make sport – escpecially Cricket – what it is.

I guess the days of Neville Cardus and John Arlott are over, but as an observer of the game, I would rather base my player/match forecasts upon being made to study background, temperament and ability rather than use the aid of numbers.

Then again, like it was said by an American Aaron Levenstien:”Statistics are like a bikini bathing suit – what they reveal is suggestive, what they conceal is vital.”