New custodian of D/L/S method slams Fleming

Mumbai: Rising Pune Supergiants coach Stephen Fleming lashed out at the Duckworth-Lewis system following his team's eight-wicket defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday.

However, the new custodian of the system, which is now known as D/L/S, Prof. Steven Stern says Fleming's outburst was nothing but emotional.

Read: Duckworth-Lewis is rubbish, RPS coach Stephen Fleming lashes out

Speaking from Australia, Prof. Stern said, "Unfortunately, I have a general policy not to make detailed responses to this sort of thing. (However) all that I will say is that I understand Stephen Fleming would have been disappointed at losing and his response to the DLS target was an emotional one made in that context."

 

"I have investigated the match target (as I do with all international and list A matches) and I am satisfied that it is reasonable in the circumstances when one looks at the data on typical T20 scoring rates."

Explaining his association with the D/L/S, the Prof. said, "I began collaborating with Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis in 2005 and first became formally connected to D/L and the ICC in 2008, when they adopted my program WinCODA as the official software used by all cricket organisations to run the D/L method. Then in September 2013, when Duckworth and Lewis retired, the ICC contracted me as their successor."

"Despite being born in America (and thus being weaned on baseball), I fell in love with cricket when I immigrated to Australia in 1994.  It is a perfect sport for a mathematician!"

"As for the rain, I suppose that it is a mixed blessing to now have my name associated with bad weather!  It is pleasing to know that my system is helping the game when the rains come, but in all honesty I don't enjoy rain affected matches (especially if my son is playing!)," he added.

"I split my attention between the international game and my son's junior team.  He is 15 years old and is quite a good wicketkeeper and one of my greatest joys is watching him play on Saturdays", Stern added. 

Prof. Stern is familiar with VJD system which has been investigated by India's V. Jayadevan. 

"I am very familiar with Mr Jayadevan's system. Indeed, in many ways it is not that different mathematically from D/L/S (for example, his system is also based on scoring resources).  However, while his general ideas have merit, there are some fundamental issues with his approach which make D/L/S a better option (in my professional opinion, anyway)," he signed off. 

Another Indian mathematician and an author of the VJD system also disagrees with Fleming. Speaking exclusively, he said, "I cannot agree with Mr. Fleming though VJD target. No point in blaming someone else after playing terribly bad."