Using technology to improve your cricket isn’t always about spending a lot of money. Sometimes you can get excellent results without a large investment upfront.

But you have to be careful too. There are many products on the market making big claims. Not all of them are as good as they make out. So here are 5 of my top picks for technology that you can pick up cheaply and make a difference to your game.

 It shouldn’t come as a surprise that cricketers disrespect umpires.

The incident in the IPL where Harbhajan Singh argued with the umpire so hard he forced a review is just another example of the Spirit of Cricket being ignored. Dissent goes back as far as WG Grace (probably further). Cricket is not a gentleman’s game.

But the thing that got me about the Mumbai Indians vs. Deccan Chargers flare up was that Harbajan wasn’t playing the game to his advantage.

This week’s winner of the Cricket Show podcast question competition is Varun. He wins a free coaching course from PitchVision Academy.

"Sir can u pls give me some tips on improvising & scoring more runs of the good length balls? I'm not a very good runner between the wickets so i want to score more runs off them in order to maintain a good average. Also the skill level of the bowlers is also very good ."

Listen to the panel’s answer to his question here.

To enter your own question for the chance to win your choice of online coaching course send your questions in here. 

It seems a Test series can’t be played without a controversy around the Decision Review System (DRS) technology. The system has utilised computer modelling and even military grade heat cameras to help the top level come to the right decision.

And there is a knock on effect to the games played at grass-roots level, even when the highest-tech item on the oval is a cricket bat.

And as far as I’m concerned it’s good for the game.

The IPL is high on people’s minds because it is such a good showcase for learning Twenty20 cricket. That’s why the team look at the impact of the IPL on grass-roots playing and coaching.

On the show Mark Garaway, Burners and David Hinchliffe talk about the science of selection, how to measure fielding performance (if you don’t have access to video feeds and hawkeye data), scoring runs of good length balls and preparing young players for Twenty20.

Kevin Pietersen was banned from playing his switch hit by the umpires in the Test match against Sri Lanka. But it’s still a perfectly legal shot to play for most batters.

The action by Umpire Asad Rauf on day two of the Test came about because Pietersen was adjusting his grip position early and the bowler - Dilshan - was refusing to bowl. It was a stalemate that was both funny and frustrating.

Yorkers will single-handedly win games of cricket in this year’s edition of the IPL. And they will do the same if you coach it well because the yorker is an exciting ball that can be practiced and developed through coaching routines and practices.

Malinga has made himself into one of the most valuable T20 players in the world in the IPL over the last 2 editions.  It’s no shock to learn that he attempts over twice as many yorkers than any other bowler in the IPL. 

Malinga is a diligent trainer and is often seen aiming his yorkers at targets before matches with unerring accuracy. Here’s how your bowling unit can copy his success.

What’s the best way to handle a pressure situation in a cricket match?

Simple: knowing you have been there before and succeeded. There is no better confidence than the confidence of experience. This is why practicing set pieces is a crucial tool for any side who want to know for sure they can battle out of any situation, no matter how rough.

A good coach or captain is always looking for ways to add this pressure into practice to build confidence. Set piece or scenario practice is the perfect tool for the job.

The Indian Premier League is a product as much as it is a cricket tournament. Many use this as a criticism, but for the budding club, school or academy cricketer it’s a real chance to improve.

Wherever you are in the world you will be able to see the IPL in action and that means you can see some of the world’s best players demonstrate their skills under huge pressure.

 Many have criticised the Indian Premier League as being less about cricket and more about entertainment. But it is very serious cricket business that is played by cricketers from which we can all learn lessons.

So, on the cusp of IPL 5, I take a look at some of the superstars of the game, and how you can match the players in your Twenty20 team to similar roles (even if the talent levels are not as high).