Introduction to blind cricket
Despite many similarities between visually-impaired and sighted players, there is one major difference: sound.
While playing basketball or soccer with you eyes open, listen for the sounds of other players’ feet hitting the ground.
When you need information about where someone is heading in your field of vision, listen for the shouts that tell you they are trying to score a goal.
Blind athletes rely heavily upon hearing as an outlet for their competitive spirit. Hitting a ball through obstacles can be extremely physical, so focusing on auditory cues is important.
Also, since visual perception is reduced in blindness, listening becomes more significant. You may still see something (your teammate might be headed towards you), but you will know it before he tells you.
This knowledge gives you time to prepare yourself for his action.
In fact, studies show that when deaf and blind people play sports, they become more aware of their environment and what others around them are doing. This increased awareness helps them win games.
History of the blind cricket world cup
The first ever blind cricket international tournament was held in India in 2015. It gave rise to the sport globally
Blind cricket is an adaptation of traditional white ball cricket for people with severe vision impairments. Teams are made up of players who are completely blind or have low-vision, making it possible for even the most impaired player to take part. Scoring is done by feeling the ball as it hits the ground, not by sight. Fielding positions are also different than in normal cricket. In blind cricket, there are no fielders–all bases are open.
Fielders in non-blind cricket tend to make the game more fun and competitive because they add offense and defense when running back to their base. However, this does not happen in blind cricket due to lack of fielding.
Another difference from regular cricket is that games only last five days instead of ten. On the sixth day, teams switch locations. This gives everyone two matches per week, which is enough time to enjoy the unique challenges that come with playing team sports with a disability.
Format of the blind cricket world cup
The tournament is held in alternate years in Australia, India, New Zealand, and United States (PNG). It is organized by Access Indoor Sports (AIS), an organization that provides opportunities for people with disabilities to play sports.
Sports such as tennis, swimming, and basketball are played indoors at venues equipped with special surfaces and nets.
But what makes this variant of cricket unique is the use of specialized bats as well as ball. These contain sensors that allow players to hit them without seeing the ball.
Blind cricketers score points by hitting the ball using their ears instead of eyes. A player can focus only on the sound of the pitch or pad firing forward.
Specialists say there are two types of sounds made when a batter hits a pitched ball. There’s the “click” that happens when you strike the center of gravity of each disk evenly. Then there’s the more distinctive “pop” heard when you reach the end of the disks.
Practice drills help students become aware of how much control they have over the bat and where they need to place their hands during different swings.
Teams for the blind cricket world cup
There are currently nine (9) teams from around the globe participating in the Bali Blind Cricket Festival, which is held once every four years. Each team consists of eight (8) players; two (2) batsmen, three (3) bowlers, and three (3) fielders.
There are several different types of competitions hosted by this festival, including the traditional tournaments as well as others that encourage participation and integration. Many of these events are free of charge.
The main tournament, however, is charged ($10 per person). This is where participants can show off their best bowling skills, fielding abilities, and batting prowess. The tournament is open to all levels of players, with top-level competitors receiving preferential treatment.
Participants who demonstrate high performance while playing other sports or games also receive special consideration.
Dates for the blind cricket world cup
The tournament is held once every four years, which means there will be another event coming up soon!
In order to participate in this event, you must play in or sponsor an international competition.
These are open to all players, regardless of where they live. There are no restrictions except that players may not have played more than five times in any previous tournaments before entering the official national championships.
There are currently over 20 nations participating in blind cricket worldwide.
The next tournament was held in South Africa in October 2016, with teams from Argentina, Bangladesh, Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, United States, Uruguay, Germany, India, Pakistan and Nigeria also taking part.
Games usually take place during the summer months, though winter games are occasionally organized to allow participation by athletes residing in regions outside the tropics.
Each team consists of between three and eleven members, who each play as much as possible throughout the season. No team contains both amateurs and professionals, although some are made entirely of one group or the other.
Several non-playing members sometimes provide assistance to the team, including coaches, statisticians, managers, etc.
How to play blind cricket
For those who have never played before, blind cricket is fun and easy. You need a large net to hit the ball onto (it must be wide and flat). There are no rules or regulations on the size of the sticks nor how fast you can run!
There are six members on each team, and two bases for chasing balls. Your teammates cannot touch each other while fielding, as they may get confused and throw the ball away.
To score points, your team needs to chase down the ball in opposite directions from each other. Once there, you try to put the ball into the opposing goal using anything you can find around the room- water bottles, plastic cups, etc.
Accidental spills are okay, but make sure it’s not too wet/dirty. The floor can be dry if you ask first.
The game usually lasts for about an hour, so keep that in mind when planning time tables. Also remember that people are often busy during the day, so plan this session early.
Bowls and toss
Toss is when the captain of the team that will be fielding throws the ball to start the game. There are different ways to do it, here’s how we usually do it: The whole team (including me) gets together in a circle and puts our right hands out with fingers spread. The catcher holds the ball at about chest height, which is also where you put your left hand to catch the ball after you throw it.
The only difference between tossing the ball and throwing it is that with throwing the ball, I step up and push the ball back as hard as I can. Throwing is done for all positions except pitcher and catcher.
For those two positions, there’s really no way to throw the ball so we just call “toss.” For batter, they get to pick their steps and timing is important because if you aren’t ready, my warning is that you won’t hit the ball very far or fast. Fielders have several options off the field including picking what direction to run in, but the most common option is going toward home plate or running to the other side of the field.
It’s pretty rare to see a player not getting into position properly, so the coach is probably telling them to keep doing what they were doing.
Choose sides
Blind cricket is an incredible sport that requires little equipment, lots of courage, and very few distractions. It’s also incredibly fun and easy to play.
Best of all, blind cricket is accessible anywhere there are balls and bats. There are several different types of tournaments for various levels of players.
There is even a world cup competitive season which runs from October to June each year.
This is followed by a four-month tournament road trip where teams from around the world come together to compete.
No matter when you join or how long you stay involved, there are always opportunities to practice or attend events. Either way, it’s hard not to have some fun while playing this iconic game.
Field boundaries
The cricket field has four boundary lines. Two of them are used to divide the field into thirds, making each team responsible for one third of the total playing area. These boundaries are referred to as ” bases”.
The two base lines together form a rectangle. At its maximum width, this rectangle is equal to the distance between the centrelines of the posts. Minimum width equals half the length of the centerline.
Maximum height is determined by the local umpire when they designate where the pitch will be. The minimum height is represented by the diameter of the ball at maximum drop.
These measurements help determine how much space players have around them while batting or running out a ball. If there’s room behind someone, it helps him get away from the field.
If there isn’t enough room, then the player must try to protect the wicket with his body. This can lead to mistakes which may cost the batsman runs if he misses a shot because of it.
It also helps prevent wild pitches that could possibly hurt a batter if he hits the ground before the bowler throws the ball. Pitches are called even if the ball hit the grass just after it came off the bat.
There are many other factors involved in determining whether a run should be scored; these rules do not change no matter who you are or what position you play in the game.
