Jon Lewis, coach of the England women’s cricket team, utilised artificial intelligence technology by PSi during the 2023 Ashes series to enhance player selection, showcasing its impact on key victories and match outcomes.
Jon Lewis, coach of the England women’s cricket team, has revealed the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to assist in player selection, particularly during the 2023 women’s Ashes series against Australia. The AI technology, developed by London-based firm PSi, was first encountered by Lewis while working for UP Warriorz in the T20 Women’s Premier League in India.
PSi’s technology simulates matches by running about 250,000 simulations per team, considering all possible game permutations. This approach was pivotal when England struggled in the Ashes series. AI-backed data led to the selection of off-spinner Charlie Dean, who played crucial roles in winning two T20 matches, including taking the wicket of Australian captain Alyssa Healy.
The technology is also utilized by other sports teams, such as the national men’s rugby union team, Wigan Athletic FC, and rugby league club Wigan Warriors. Despite the success of AI in these scenarios, Lewis maintains a human-first approach to selection, emphasizing that AI provides objective insights to assist in decision-making, especially for borderline calls.
Previously, the England men’s cricket team used the ‘Monte Carlo’ simulation system, and their analytical team now uses an advanced in-house model developed by Nathan Leamon and led by Professor Stafford Murray.
The women’s Ashes series ended in a draw, with the AI-aided selections playing a critical role in England’s T20 series victory.
