NEW DELHI, Oct 28: Technology and experimentation have become an integral part of cricket in recent times. If the 2004 Champions Trophy saw wired up umpires and the third umpires calling no-balls, this year cricket teams are utilising a special technology during practice sessions.

The Rajasthan Cricket Association along with Microsoft has introduced a Media Center instant replay technology to help speed up decision making by the third umpire, making him less dependent on the official broadcaster for replays.

The technology, although being used for the first time in the Champions Trophy, has also found takers in the Indian cricket team, along with others.

"In the Indian cricket team there are several individual players who have personally been using this technology for over a year now. And the feedback we have had from them has been tremendous. Based on that encouragement we have now been working with a few associations and also with the BCCI to see how we could market this technology, bring this to improve the game and help the team perform better," says a Microsoft employee.

"In the third umpire perspective, one of the key things is the ability to pause, rewind and replay using Windows Media Center, which is very effective in being able to have the control at the third umpires' hands and give them freedom. From the team perspective, it helps them analyse each of their plays, analyse to simulate what they are playing. So it gets them mentally prepared before they face a game," says another professional.

Apart from the Media Centre, technologies like PlayValue and Silicon Coach are also to be used at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.

"The Indian team are quite gung-ho about technology themselves. They all have laptops, they all have been watching the games, and we are endorsing that and putting together all the systems in place to be able to ensure that they get the right technology," said BCCI vice-President, Lalit Modi. - Agencies