Blind cricket

Did You Know?

• Blind cricket was invented in Melbourne in 1922 by two blind factory workers using a tin can containing rocks.
• The world's first test cricket match for the blind was played in 2000 between Pakistan and South Africa.
• The Victorian Blind Cricket Association was founded in 1922, and the first sports ground and clubhouse for blind cricket was built at Kooyong, Melbourne in 1928.

Rules

Blind cricket follows standard cricket laws but with key changes. The international rules, first approved in 2005, have 25 clauses. Each side has 11 players: at least four who are totally blind (B1), three partially blind (B2), and up to four partially sighted (B3). The ball is bigger than usual and contains ball bearings so blind players can hear it and partially sighted players can see it. The stumps are larger metal tubes painted in bright colors, letting partially sighted players see them and blind players touch them to get their bearings. Verbal cues are common; the bowler must call 'Play!' when releasing the ball. For a totally blind batsman, the ball must bounce at least twice before reaching them, and once for a partially sighted batsman, but it cannot roll. Totally blind batsmen cannot be out stumped, and they must be judged LBW twice before being dismissed. Totally blind fielders can catch the ball after it bounces.

Blind Cricket World Cup

The first World Cup for the blind was held in New Delhi, India in 1998, sponsored by Hotel Kanishka and named the 'Kanishka World Cup Cricket for the Blind'. South Africa won that final against Pakistan; India and Australia were the semi-finalists. The second World Cup took place in Chennai, India in December 2002, with Pakistan defeating South Africa in the final. The third was held in Islamabad, Pakistan in 2006, where Pakistan defeated India under the leadership of Aga Shaukat-Ali, founder of the Pakistan Blind Cricket Council. In 2014, India defeated Pakistan in the final at Cape Town, South Africa on 7 December. The fifth World Cup was held in Sharjah, UAE in 2018, with India again defeating Pakistan on 20 January. The first T20 Blind World Cup was held in Bangalore, India in 2012, where India defeated Pakistan by 29 runs. The second T20 Blind World Cup was held in India from 30 January to 12 February 2017, with India defeating Pakistan by 9 wickets in Bengaluru. The 2022 T20 Blind World Cup was won by India against Bangladesh in Bengaluru on 17 December. The 2024 T20 Blind World Cup was won by Pakistan, beating Bangladesh by 10 wickets in Multan on 3 December.

Regional organizations

British Blind Sport, whose founding members were cricketers, is the administrative body for blind cricket in the United Kingdom. Blind Cricket New South Wales (BCNSW) governs the sport in New South Wales, Australia. In India, the Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) replaced the Association for Cricket for the Blind India (ACBI), which was set up in 1996. George Abraham founded the ACBI, a registered voluntary body whose objectives include using competitive cricket to teach blind people confidence and to convey their abilities to society. The ACBI organized the first two Blind Cricket World Cups in 1998 and 2002. CABI is the apex body for blind cricket in India, a sports initiative of Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled, and is affiliated with the WBCC.

Regional competitions

Blind cricket has a strong presence across Australia, with regular teams competing in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory. The national championship, the Australian Blind Cricket Championships, takes place every two years, and the 31st edition was hosted in Queensland in 2012. The first blind cricket Ashes series was held in England in August 2004, where England won three matches to two. A return series in Sydney in December 2008 saw England take a disputed 3–0 victory. Australia won the next contest in 2012, but England reclaimed the upper hand in 2016. In India, the Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled and the Cricket Association for the Blind in India run state, zonal, national, and international tournaments. State competitions pick teams for four zones—north, east, west, and south—and the zonal winners then play league matches to reach the finals. The first recorded regular blind cricket match took place in Karachi in 1978 between Lahore and IDA RIEU School. Since its founding in 1997, the Pakistan Blind Cricket Council has held eight major national tournaments and two double-wicket events. Blind Cricket South Africa, established in 2008, governs the sport there and coordinates regional activities in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape, and the Free State.