VIDEO: This AI bowling machine can copy any bowler—and PCB has it first

LAHORE: Pakistan has just beaten every other cricket board in the world to one of the biggest AI upgrades the sport has seen.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has become the first cricket board globally to install the TruMan 3 AI-powered bowling machine, bringing futuristic batting practice to the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.

Unlike traditional bowling machines that simply fire deliveries, TruMan 3 shows a full LED animation of a bowler's action perfectly synced with the release of the ball. In other words, batters don't just react to the delivery—they get to read the bowler's action, release point and timing almost exactly as they would in a real match.

The machine is also ridiculously customizable. Coaches can tweak pace, swing, seam movement, bounce, line, length and release height, while entire overs and bowling spells can be saved and replayed to recreate real match situations—or even imitate specific bowlers.

PCB Director of High Performance Aaqib Javed called it the most advanced bowling machine currently available. "TruMan 3 is the most advanced bowling machine available today, and the Pakistan Cricket Board is the first cricket board to use it."

Pakistan all-rounder Salman Ali Agha, who has already trained with the system, admitted it takes some getting used to because the timing feels much closer to facing an actual bowler. "It feels challenging at first, but once you get used to it, it makes a real difference to your batting."

With cricket increasingly embracing AI and performance technology, Pakistan has become the first national board to make TruMan 3 part of its player development programme—a move that could reshape how the next generation of batters prepares for international cricket.