The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

Algorithm now required to determine Australia’s strongest T20 side: Scientists

9th February, 2018
Advertisement
Why haven't Australia done better in T20? (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
Expert
9th February, 2018
18
1323 Reads

With the team a perennial potpourri of availables after a decade-long experimental phase, scientists now believe Australia’s best T20 team can only be determined by algorithm.

In a white paper titled ‘Remedying Australia’s history of not giving a shit about T20′, research has revealed years of slipshod strategy and a devil-may-care attitude has cultivated a bloated and bastardised core of players that can only be profitably streamlined using maths.

The report recommends that for Australia to emerge as a force in the upcoming World Cup, a team of researchers is required to mine the data from their limitless flux to unlock a calculus on who should take the newie.

This would also involve forensic examination of selectors’ behaviours, plus wading through the ocean of blokes back to Travis Birt who were “thrown in for a look” after a single cameo of 42 (26).

By adopting the recommendations of a sound algebraic formula for the 1000+ selection pool, the report guarantees it would not only stabilise the seventh-ranked side, but also promise them “pumping 10’s at the death.”

Conversely, should Australia choose to continue with their current strategy, they risk nosediving to depths where they could possibly know less about T20 cricket than the Channel Nine commentary team.

While the silver bullet of a complex arithmetic strategy compiled by world-leading brains could seem too easy to be true, the research does acknowledge there could be initial teething issues.

An effective algorithm for Australian selection would need to smoothly incorporate the Steve Smith element- who has seen 15 new slower balls come and go since he last played for Australia- and other factors like Chris Lynn’s one arm and Glenn Maxwell’s zero support.

Advertisement
Glenn Maxwell Sad

(AP Photo/Jon Super)

Researchers will also need to exercise care if borrowing from aspects of Facebook’s algorithm- which can predict when users will pick a nose- as this will require wading in to the murkiness of selectors’ likes and dislikes, friends and susceptibility to marketing.

Initial testing revealed some formulas capable of settling on a pool of 345 openers, before struggling with the swathe of allrounders data.

Bug errors of ‘404.is-watto-still-available.exe’ were persistent, before the algorithm would miscarry to recommend a line-up entirely of Adam Zampas and his 11 different haircuts.

While Cricket Australia are encouraged by the recommendations, it is not believe they will be adopted anytime soon.

Following two wins at home in a tournament with low exposure, they believe Australia is already back on track to meet its usual T20 World Cup KPI of a quarter final bombout.

close