SA blind cricket team completes cricket training camp (video)
Blind cricket is among the fastest growing sports among visually impaired people in South Africa and in the world.
The South African blind cricket team completed a three-day training camp at the Boksburg City Stadium between March 21 and 23.
This forms part of its preparation for the T20 Blind Cricket World Cup that will be staged in England in July 2021.
The national squad is made up of players from four provinces namely Gauteng, KZN, Free-State and the Western Cape.
Blind cricket is a version of cricket, adapted for blind and partially sighted players.
Additional minor modification rules include:
1. Hard white plastic ball with steel bearings inside the ball which can be heard when rolled and minor additional modification to the game.
2. Under arm bowling.
3. The use of a batting technique called the sweep shot where the bat is kept more or less horizontal to the ground as opposed to the conventional vertical style played by sighted cricketers.
4. The stumps are made out of metal (same size as the wooden stumps) and it is brightly painted.
Reason for metal stumps: It makes a sound when the ball hits the stump.
5. There are three categories of players that make a blind cricket team of 11 players:
B1 – Totally blind players = 4 players.
B2 – This includes players able to recognise the shape of a hand up to those with a visual acuity of 2/60 or a visual field of less than five degrees = 3 players.
B3 – These players either have a visual acuity between 2/60 and 6/60 or a visual field of less than 20 degrees in their better eye after correction = 4 players.
All players must undergo a valid eye-classification procedure conducted by an ophthalmologist and return to the national coordinator of Blind Cricket SA (BCSA) and BCSA executive for verification and approval before being classified as eligible to participate.
6. The wicket-keeper (B2) or (B3) provides the totally blind bowler (B1) with an indication of direction by clapping and calling from behind the wickets before he or she bowls.
7. Before the bowler releases the ball he or she will ask certain questions, such as if the fielders and batsman are ready.
8. The blind batsman (B1) will make use of a ‘runner’ (a teammate who is partially sighted).
9. The blind batsman’s score (B1) is doubled when it comes off the bat to ensure that their position in the batting line-up does not slow the run rate down.
Other minor modifications include the field size, batting and bowling sequences.
For more information, contact BCSA’s Manny Mothilal on 072 353 2184.
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