Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used in the sporting world for everything from increasing fan engagement to analysing performance, fine-tuning training schedules and improving strategies.
Now, Jon Lewis, the head coach of the England Women cricket team, has revealed that he is using AI to help with team selection.
Expert human judgement still plays a huge part, but Lewis says that the technology helps in “borderline” selection decisions and credits it with helping his side grab a draw in last year’s Ashes series.
Lewis was introduced to the AI system while coaching Women’s Premier League side UP Warriorz in India last year.
The technology, which is provided by London-based company PSi, allows coaching staff to simulate different line-ups and scenarios.
It has been used by teams in other sports, including rugby league side Wigan Warriors and League One football team Wigan Athletic.
Lewis revealed that he was using the AI system after naming his selection to play against Pakistan in a forthcoming white ball series.
AI runs 250,000 simulations for each team line-up
Lewis said that he can send “multiple different line-ups” to the PSi team in London, who then run around 250,000 simulations per team, “with all the different permutations that could happen through the game”.
The England Women teams can also be pitched against different permutations of the opposition team across thousands of simulations.
The head coach stressed that he always started off with a “people first” approach, with an understanding of the players and “where they are at in their own minds” being crucial.
This human level of understanding can then be supported and augmented by data and the sort of analysis that can be provided by AI.
Lewis said that data crunching was good for providing an objective view on what could happen in future matches, as well as analysing what happened in previous ones.
It can then help inform “borderline decisions” that the coach may be struggling with.
Lewis added that the AI “really helped” in some selections during the Ashes last summer when players he had to decide between were in good form.
He said that the selection he finally went for with the aid of AI helped the team to win the T20 series that got them back into contention for the Ashes.
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