Data analyst Dan Weston describes taking on cricket’s ‘old school’ with his numbers-based approach, and reveals the biggest mistakes that T20 teams make.

In the grand scheme of cricket’s vast and rich history, T20 cricket is still very much in its infancy as a recognised format of the professional game. Methods of judging players’ ability that have long suited the longer formats may not be adequate for how teams approach T20 cricket. One man changing the way teams approach the analysis of T20 cricket is Dan Weston.

Weston uses his data – collected from millions of balls’ worth of cricket – to calculate and predict the success of cricketers in all formats around the world, including India, where the Chennai Super Kings are among the favourites to retain their title in the latest IPL betting.

“If they were to use my data, they would be able to release a player and free up the money to pay for a consultant. It’s an indictment of the game at the moment.”

“I think things will change in the next decade or so,” he says. “We’ll find that cricket will turn into much more of a baseball-orientated, stats-driven sport.”