May 4th 2024.
London: The England women's head coach, Jon Lewis, has revealed that the team is utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to assist in selecting their starting eleven. According to Lewis, this technology has been crucial in providing feedback on potential match-ups and has even helped the team secure a victory in the Ashes series.
Lewis first learned about this advanced technology while coaching the UP Warriorz in India during the inaugural edition of the Women's Premier League in March 2023. It was powered by a London-based company called PSi. Interestingly, other sports teams, such as the England Rugby Union team and the English Football League One side Wigan Athletic, have also used the same system, as reported by ESPNCricinfo.
The England head coach explained that the AI system has been successful in guiding them in making tough decisions, especially when two players with similar skills are competing for a spot on the team. He stated, "We are able to simulate different teams against each other to get an idea of how they may match up." This involves sending different lineups to the company, which then runs 250,000 simulations per team to explore all possible outcomes.
However, Lewis clarified that AI is not the sole factor in selecting the team but rather one aspect that helps them understand the potential outcomes. He shared, "It's not our only method of selection, but it's a valuable tool that we used successfully in the Ashes last summer." He also provided an example of how the system helped them identify the best players to match up against a particular strength of the Australian team, ultimately leading to their victory in the T20 series.
Although he acknowledged that traditional methods of selecting teams, such as observing players during training, cannot be replaced, Lewis believes that AI can assist in making better decisions. He stated, "It can help with borderline decisions and match-ups, but it will never be the sole factor in selecting the team." He emphasized that the most crucial aspect is ensuring that the players are mentally and physically prepared for the game.
In conclusion, Lewis believes that AI can only play a small role in the selection process and that the players' well-being should always be the top priority. He stated, "My go-to would be to focus on preparing the players and then use data to support our selection decisions." AI may be an essential tool in modern sports, but ultimately, it is the players' performance and mindset that determines the team's success.
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