Shaun Tait is fast, but not that fast
The speed gun is one of those rare innovations that have added excitement to the game
Tariq Engineer
25-Feb-2013
The speed gun is one of those rare innovations that have added excitement to the game. The instant a quick delivery is bowled, spectators and players alike crane their necks to see just how fast it was. But can we trust the results? Writing in the Guardian, Mike Selvey says speed gun readings should be taken with a big pinch of salt.
But as with Hawk-Eye, or the pitch mat for lbw, or Snicko, or even the enhanced technology of Hotspot, it is not there to be taken too seriously. It has its flaws. It is not definitive. There is a margin for error. It may even be open to a little trickery if there is a little tinkering with the calibration.
I was reminded of this during the first of England's recent one-day internationals with Australia at the Rose Bowl, when in the course of the England innings Ryan Harris was deemed to have sent down a delivery in excess of 96mph. This marks him down as one of the fastest bowlers in history, and while I bow to no one in admiration of Harris's blood-and-guts, in-yer-face bowling, he isn't that. Goodness only knows what that would make Tommo, or Mikey Holding, or Shoaib Akhtar.
Tariq Engineer is a former senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo