Performance analysis in cricket has traditionally focused on bowling and batting, with limited emphasis on fielding performance in both research and practice. Currently, there is no evaluation of fielding tactics using fielder location data. To address this gap, the primary aim of the study was to identify and describe typical placement of fielders (field-settings) in T20 international cricket. The secondary aim was to determine the association between field-settings and measures of team performance. Fielder location data (x-y coordinates) were processed by calculating the angle and distance of each fielder to the centre of the cricket pitch. To address the primary aim, Hierarchical Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (HDBSCAN) was applied to identify a set of discrete field-settings. For the secondary aim, regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationship between field-settings and measures of team performance. The study identified 21 commonly employed field-settings, some of which were significantly associated with varying rates of dot balls, boundaries and runs conceded. No significant association was found between any field-setting and wickets taken. This is the first study to analyse fielder location data to quantify cricket fielding performance. The identified field-settings support more informed strategic decision-making processes, including pre-match planning, on-field tactical adjustments, and opposition analysis. These insights may also contribute to improved team performance and enhance broadcast coverage through data-driven storytelling of fielding tactics.
Bhardwaj et al. (Wed,) studied this question.