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Statistics are for losers

flibbertyjibber

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This is actually a broad problem in data science, not only in sports. People look at irrelevant or incomplete stats and conclude that stats are misleading and useless when they fail to match reality. You just need better models, obviously that's easier said then done.
Poor Stuart gets blamed for everything.
 

Debris

International 12th Man
To be honest, I think I am going to need to see some statistics before I take this seriously.
 

Kirkut

International Regular
Where there are statistics there will be comparisons, which is why I quit studying them long time ago. It blinds the uniqueness of every cricketer, numbers can never define humans.
 

sledger

Spanish_Vicente
Yes, indeed, which begs the question, why are they even tracked at all? What is the rationale and justification for this?
 

Kirkut

International Regular
I believe stats were introduced to sports in order to make it easier for betting industries to have parameters for making bets. Second reason could be to bring in casual crowds to watch the sport, numbers do impress people.
 

sledger

Spanish_Vicente
I believe stats were introduced to sports in order to make it easier for betting industries to have parameters for making bets. Second reason could be to bring in casual crowds to watch the sport, numbers do impress people.
Yes I suppose this could be right, perhaps you are onto something here. There is a simplicity about stats which I could see could make them very appealing to those who are only able to think at a moderate to low level.
 

Pup Clarke

Cricketer Of The Year
In cricket, the actual output of a batsman or bowler is less tangible than other sports. For example, a batsman can play a perfect cover drive which is both aesthetically perfect and gain maximum reward (4 runs) and then subsequently be dismissed next ball by an inswinging yorker for 4 The batsman thereafter can not affect the game compared to traditional team-sports, where success and failure is rarely punished to that same extent.
Therefore, the perfect cover drive the ball before is essentially meaningless or arbitrary - expect perhaps to purists or the person's family/friends. The batsman is basically measured solely on his output (4 runs). How many times has anyone ever heard a commentator discuss the innings of a batsman if he makes a really low score but looks competent? I'm sure sometimes it happens (Quiney's 9) but they will be more likely to praise the bowler and lament it a batting failure.
 

sledger

Spanish_Vicente
In cricket, the actual output of a batsman or bowler is less tangible than other sports. For example, a batsman can play a perfect cover drive which is both aesthetically perfect and gain maximum reward (4 runs) and then subsequently be dismissed next ball by an inswinging yorker for 4 The batsman thereafter can not affect the game compared to traditional team-sports, where success and failure is rarely punished to that same extent.
Therefore, the perfect cover drive the ball before is essentially meaningless or arbitrary - expect perhaps to purists or the person's family/friends. The batsman is basically measured solely on his output (4 runs). How many times has anyone ever heard a commentator discuss the innings of a batsman if he makes a really low score but looks competent? I'm sure sometimes it happens (Quiney's 9) but they will be more likely to praise the bowler and lament it a batting failure.
The first sentence in bold is highly contentious; I think I'd go as far as to totally disagree with it.

In any event, however, it appears to be impossible to reconcile with the second sentence in bold. How can a player's output be both intangible and the primary way of assessing their performance?
 

mr_mister

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Yes I suppose this could be right, perhaps you are onto something here. There is a simplicity about stats which I could see could make them very appealing to those who are only able to think at a moderate to low level.
Do you talk like this in person? I hope for your sake that you don't
 

Daemon

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The first sentence in bold is highly contentious; I think I'd go as far as to totally disagree with it.

In any event, however, it appears to be impossible to reconcile with the second sentence in bold. How can a player's output be both intangible and the primary way of assessing their performance?
Yeah, strange contradiction.

Nearly all output in cricket is much more tangible than in most sports imo.
 

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