MUMBAI: Cricket site ESPNcricinfo has announced the introduction of the online version of the television feature, Hawk-Eye.

Hawk-Eye online is being introduced as a new feature for the ongoing Champions Trophy, where it would be linked to the ESPNcricinfo Scorecard, as a pop-up, during live matches.

Hawk-Eye online will be similar to the one seen on television, but with added advantages of convenience and choice since it is offered online. This would serve as a convenient utility for all those discerning cricket fans who can analyze in leisure a particular aspect in the cricket field. The service also offers customization feature for users to select specific dimensions for the graphical analysis, making it essentially a desktop query tool.

Hawk-Eye systems are based on triangulation, using images and timing data provided by multiple high-speed video cameras located at different locations and angles around the area of play. The system rapidly processes the video feeds by a high speed video processor and ball tracker.

A data store contains a predefined model of the playing area and includes data on the rules of the game. The system generates a graphic image of the ball path and playing area which means that information can be provided to judges, television viewers or coaching staff in near real time.

The pure tracking system is combined with a backend database and archiving capabilities so that it is possible to extract and analyze trends and statistics about individual players, games or ball to ball comparisons etc. The system was first used during a Test match between Pakistan and England at Lord‘s Cricket Ground, on 21 April 2001, in the TV coverage by Channel 4.

Hawk-Eye in ESPNcricinfo will be an on-demand, customisable feature, which increases interaction and involvement in the game for fans away from television. Aircel, who is the presenting sponsor on ESPNcricinfo for various key international series, is sponsoring the Hawk-Eye offering on ESPNcricinfo during the Champions Trophy.