Sweep shot played, with ball and Fluorescent wickets Source image: Playo
(Images: World Blind Cricket Council and Indian National Blind Cricket Team)
Indian players celebrating their win in final
The Indian national blind cricket team, a member of the World Blind Cricket Council (WBCC), won its third T20 World Cup on December 17, 2022, defeating Bangladesh in the final.
Logo of World Blind Council
Source Image: Wikipedia
Pakistan team posing with a trophy
Source Image: Pakistanpaedia
Do you know that the WBCC was formed in September 1996, 26 years ago, in Delhi, India, by George Abraham?
It has 10 full-time members: Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies.
So far, 5 limited-overs (50-overs) and 3 T20 world cups have been organised across countries, with the latest world cup held being the T20 world cup 2022 from December 5th to December 17th, 2022, in India.
The first blind-test match was played between Pakistan and South Africa.
How is it played?
In any team of 11 players, at least four are totally blind (B1), three are partially blind (B2), and four are partially sighted (B3).
The game of cricket is played with the standard laws of cricket (which are used in cricket games played by normal men and women) with some slight modifications.
Ball modification
Blind team ball
The ball used in blind cricket is significantly larger than the normal cricket ball used in standard cricket. Additionally, the ball is filled with ball bearings to provide audible clues for players to know where exactly the ball is on the field and play it.
Blind team ball, which is softer and has cherries (balls) to make sound
Source image: Blind cricket Blind Cricket England & Wales
The sweep shot is the most commonly used shot.
Sweep shot played with ball and Fluorescent wickets
In blind cricket, it is common to use a sweep shot to provide the maximum chance of the bat hitting the ball.
Underarm bowling
Bowling in blind cricket is done under arm so that both batsmen and the keeper can adjust to the ball by hearing the sound of ball bearings.
Fluorescent wickets
The wickets are painted in fluorescent colours and are large in size, joined on all three sides to allow partially sighted players to see and blind players to touch them in order to correctly align themselves when batting or bowling.
In addition to this, players and umpires communicate using verbal signs. A bowler, for example, must shout “play” as he releases the bowl from his bowling crease. He needs to deliver the bounce of the ball on the 22-year pitch at least twice when bowling to a completely blind batsman and once when bowling to a partially sighted batsman. But he mustn’t be rolling on the pitch.
Totally blind batsmen cannot be out due to stumping from the back of the wickets and must be Leg Before Wicket (LBW) twice to be dismissed. When totally blind players are fielding, they are taken down on one bounce.
What can we take away?
Anyone can pursue and achieve their goals.The only thing that is needed is a burning desire. We must take our cue from these men, who despite the challenges in life are not looking back but just going on and on and bringing laurels to the nation. India salutes its blind players, who have won the final of the T20 World Cup for the Blind with a margin of 120 runs over Bangladesh.
Every team is a winner, as they have come this far and tried to bring laurels to the country.
We salute you!
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