DNA catches up with Warren Brennan, the inventor of much-talked about technology that the Indians believe is key to the accuracy of DRS. Whether it will be introduced at World Cup is a different issue.
What is Hot Spot all about?
It’s based on infrared spectrum. There is a thing called electro-magnetic spectrum. That is made up of x-ray and visible spectrum, which the human eye can see. Infrared spectrum can see and identify the heat. In kitchen, you can feel the heat but you can’t see it. If you have the infrared camera, you can see the heat in kitchen. If you play that in cricket, the infrared camera can see the heat created by collision — ball hitting the bat, bat hitting the pad or ball hitting the pad. The cameras can feel the heat and capture the image as well. These cameras are used in jet fighters, war ships and in satellites.
How did it come into being?
I have been working in sports industry for 15 years and I’ve always been striving for new ideas. Originally, I saw this product for tennis. The ball hits the line and there would be a mark. So, Hot Spot is a competitor for Hawk Eye in tennis. We have worked on Hawk Eye and found out that that the system is more useful in cricket. It is different and better. We’ve also created Speed Gun, snicko, reaction time before creating Hot Spot in 2006.
How many cameras are needed for Hot Spot?
Originally, we used two cameras for front on positions — at both bowling ends. Now we place them at side-on positions as well. So, that makes four in total.
Is the equipment heavy and difficult to transport?
It is like any television cameras. The difficulty with the technology is that it is restricted military equipment. In order to use it, you need to apply to the government of the country that produces the equipment and to the government of the country that uses it. It is a military-based camera that is being used first time outside the military. So, this involves a lot of paper work. I can’t take the camera to the US. I can use it in Australia, New Zealand, England, South Africa, France, UAE and India. There is also a catch here.
The Australian government can withdraw the permit to a certain country or all the countries at any time. We can’t leave the cameras at the ground. They have to be packed and taken back and kept in a safe place. That is the legacy of using military equipment.
Can you take the cameras to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh?
If I’ve to, the paper work has to begin now. It might take six to eight weeks to obtain permission.
If it were to be in place for the WC, how many cameras are needed?
It depends on whether the ICC goes for two camera set-up or four camera set-up. I would suggest two cameras for all the matches and four cameras for the final. It will come to somewhere between six and 10 cameras.
Have you spoken to ICC about it?
We have been talking to the ICC for the last 12 months. But there seems to be so many issues. There is the cost issue, permission issue and then above all the issue of India’s stand on the DRS system. It seems to me that the Indians support the Hot Spot and don’t support the ball-tracking for lbw.
Do you mean to say if there were to be DRS for the World Cup, the Hot Spot is mandatory?
That is for others to decide. The other big problem is time to prepare the cameras. I need at least six more months to build the cameras. It’s going to be very difficult to get six more cameras by the end of 2010.
What is the cost?
It is $6000 per day for two cameras and $10,000 for four.
Does the cost vary?
It depends on the logistics of the countries the cameras are taken to. It is more if we transport them by air and less if we transport them by road. The cost will be more in India, West Indies and South Africa than say in England, Australia and Sri Lanka.
Has the BCCI’s broadcaster approached you?
Yes. We’ve done speed gun, snicko and reaction time with them for 8 to 10 years. I have told them that we need to figure out how we can bring Hot Spot to India. What I understand is Nimbus says it wants the BCCI to pay and the board says the broadcaster has to pay. My point is why they both don’t pay a half each.
Some in India say you charge exorbitantly because you have monopoly over it.
When I invented this product, I decided to patent it. We’ve patent for 20 years in several countries, including India. But we don’t charge more than what it deserves. We have made enormous investment into it and we’re in a strong position that no one else supplies this other than us. We can sit with each board and work out a solution and add value to cricket broadcasting.
Do you see it happening for WC?
May be just for the final? Unless the decision is made very very quickly, I can’t make enough cameras to do all the matches. Somebody has to tell us that yes we can go ahead.
Is it fair to have it for the final and not for the matches?
Well, that is the way it is. If you look at Grand Slam tennis, Hawk Eye is there for the Centre Court and Court 1 matches and not for other courts. It’s a similar scenario.
Indian players believe DRS (minus Hot Spot) is not 100 per cent accurate. Do you agree?
This is not a question I should answer as it is up to other people to make these judgments.
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