Blind Cricket is a variant of the cricket sport that has been invented for blind and partially sighted players. The sport has been governed by World Blind Cricket Council (WBCC) since 1996. Four Blind World Cups have been held, so far, in New Delhi, 1998; Chennai 2002; Islamabad, 2006. The first Blind World Cup T20 took place in Bangalore in the year 2012. The game depends on the frequent use of ‘sweep shot' to provide a maximum possibility of the bat hitting the ball.
The two blind factory workers of Melbourne invented this sport in 1922 by improvising it with the use of a tin can that contained rocks. Soon after 1922, The Victorian Blind Cricket Association was formed, and the first clubhouse and sports ground for blind cricket were constructed in Kooyong, Melbourne in the year 1928. In 2000,
World’s first Test Cricket for the Blind was played between South Africa and Pakistan in which South Africa lost the match to Pakistan by 94 runs. South Africa won the first BCWC in the year 1998 by defeating Pakistan in the finals, whereas Pakistan back to back won the next two BCWC by beating South Africa and India in 2002 and 2006, respectively. India won the next championship in the year 2014 by defeating two-time winner Pakistan.
Objective
To score more runs than the opponent’s team or to knock out all the players of the opposition to win the match.
History of Blind Cricket
The sport was invented back in 1922 in Melbourne when two blind factory workers improvised the game of cricket using a tin can containing small rocks. The same year, the Victorian Blind Cricket Association was founded and in 1928; the first ground and clubhouse were built for the blind cricket.
In 1998, the Blind cricket team of South Africa won the first World CupThe year 2000 saw the first Blind Test cricket match between the teams of Pakistan and South Africa in which the former team emerged victorious by 92 runs.
Participants
The participation takes place in the following ways:-
1. The match is played between two teams, each consisting of 11 players.
2. Each team constitutes four players who are completely blind; categorised under B1.
3. Three players should be partially blind who are categorised under B2.
4. Four players, partially sighted are categorised under B3.
Playing Area
The playing field measures the same as that of the field of regular cricket. The boundaries should be a minimum of 45 and a maximum of 50 yards from the centre circle.
