Paul Hawkins (mathematician)

Paul Hawkins (born 24 June 1976) is an English mathematician, entrepreneur, technologist, and former cricketer, best known as the co-inventor of Hawk-Eye, a computer vision system used in sports officiating. Originally developed for cricket, the technology has since been adopted in tennis, football, and numerous other sports worldwide.^[1]

Paul Hawkins
Born	(1976-06-24) June 24, 1976 (age 49) United Kingdom
Nationality	English
Alma mater	Durham University
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, technologist, former cricketer
Known for	Co-inventor of Hawk-Eye

Early life and education

Hawkins was born in the United Kingdom and attended Durham University, where he studied Physics and represented the university cricket team.^[2]

Cricket career

A right-handed batsman and right-arm medium bowler, Hawkins played first-class cricket for the Durham University Centre of Cricketing Excellence (UCCE) in the early 2000s.^[3] While not pursuing a professional cricket career, his playing experience contributed to his deep understanding of ball-tracking technology.

Hawk-Eye

Hawkins co-invented Hawk-Eye in 2001 while working with engineers at Roke Manor Research. Initially intended to enhance television broadcasts of cricket matches, the system quickly gained a reputation for accuracy in tracking the trajectory of a ball. It was soon adopted by sports governing bodies for decision review systems (DRS) in cricket, line-calling in tennis, and goal-line technology in football.^[1][4]

In 2006, Hawk-Eye Innovations was acquired by Wisden Group, and later by Sony Corporation in 2011.^[5]

Other ventures

Hawkins has continued to work on sports technology, including automated officiating systems, data analytics, and virtual reality training tools for athletes.^[6]

Personal life

Hawkins remains active in sports development projects and has been involved in initiatives aimed at improving fairness and accuracy in sports officiating.