ICC unveils AI tool to protect players from toxic online content in Women's T20 World Cup

The excitement is palpable as the ninth edition of the ICC Women¡¯s T20 World Cup is set to kick off. Originally slated to be held in Bangladesh, the tournament has now been relocated to the UAE. It officially begins today, October 3, 2024, in Sharjah, with the final match scheduled to take place in Dubai on October 20.

ICC's AI initiative aimed at creating a safer space for players

In an effort to ensure a more secure and inclusive environment for players and fans alike, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has introduced an innovative social media moderation tool specifically for the Women's T20 World Cup. This tool is designed to "protect the cricket community from toxic content," focusing on reducing the prevalence of harmful interactions online.

Developed in partnership with GoBubble, the AI-powered tool actively monitors and identifies toxic content such as hate speech and harassment across both official ICC and individual player social media channels. This initiative aims to safeguard mental health and nurture a positive atmosphere during the tournament.

Credit: ICC

To effectively manage social media interactions, the ICC has enlisted GoBubble's expertise, combining cutting-edge AI technology with human oversight. This collaboration will facilitate the monitoring and moderation of comments on the ICC's official Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube accounts, as well as those belonging to players who choose to participate in the service. The technology is adept at recognizing and concealing harmful content like hate speech, harassment, and misogyny, thus fostering a more welcoming environment for fans engaging with the tournament.

Players participating in the World Cup have the option to enroll in this service, which allows them to have detrimental comments hidden from their social media feeds. This initiative enables them to promote themselves and their sport in a safer digital landscape.

Finn Bradshaw, ICC's head of digital, emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating, ¡°We are dedicated to fostering a positive and inclusive environment for all participants and fans of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup; it¡¯s been great to see so many of the players and teams embrace our new initiative.¡± So far, over 60 players have opted in for the social media protection service.

Reflecting on the importance of this initiative, South Africa¡¯s Sinalo Jafta remarked, ¡°There is nothing worse than opening up your phone after a loss ¡ª or after a victory ¡ª and regardless of what side you find yourself on, there is always some degrading comment about your personality.¡± She added, ¡°That protection for me is very big because players get to share their life with the world without the fear of being judged or criticised.¡±

India's fixtures and squad details for the tournament

As the tournament commences today with a match between Bangladesh and Scotland in Sharjah, the Indian women's cricket team, captained by Harmanpreet Kaur, will begin its campaign on Friday, October 6, against New Zealand in a Group A showdown.

The Women in Blue are determined to emulate the success of the men's team, who claimed victory earlier this year, as they pursue their first T20 World Cup title. Historically, Australia has been the dominant force in the previous eight tournaments, winning six championships, while the West Indies and England each hold one title.

Entering the tournament with renewed confidence, the Indian women's team recently achieved victories over both the West Indies and last year's runners-up, South Africa, in consecutive matches. In Group A, India will compete alongside New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and defending champions Australia.

Harmanpreet's squad will play their matches against New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka in Dubai, with their encounter against Australia set for Sharjah. Notably, aside from the match against Pakistan (scheduled to start at 3:30 PM), all their games will kick off at 7:30 PM.

The fixtures for India are as follows:

• India vs New Zealand: Dubai (October 4)
• India vs Pakistan: Dubai (October 6)
• India vs Sri Lanka: Dubai (October 9)
• India vs Australia: Sharjah (October 13)

If qualified, the schedule for the knockout stage is:

• Semi-Final 1: Dubai (October 17)
• Semi-Final 2: Sharjah (October 18)
• Final: Dubai (October 20)

The Indian squad for the tournament includes:

Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (WK), Yastika Bhatia (WK), Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, Dayalan Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil, Sajana Sajeevan

Travelling reserves: Uma Chetry (WK), Tanuja Kanwer, Saima Thakor.

Non-Travelling reserves: Raghvi Bist, Priya Mishra.

How to watch the Women's T20 World Cup live in India

The Women's T20 World Cup will feature two matches daily. The first match starts at 3:30 PM IST, followed by the second at 7:30 PM IST. On the tournament's opening day, Bangladesh will face Scotland at 3:30 PM in Sharjah, while Pakistan will take on Sri Lanka at 7:30 PM in the same venue. Indian viewers can watch the matches live on the Star Sports Network, with streaming available on Disney+Hotstar. India will play their opening match against New Zealand on October 4 in Dubai at 7:30 PM IST.

(With inputs from PTI)

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