Here, Hassan, a visually-impaired England cricketer, talks about why playing cricket means so much to him...
Cricket for Change is a charity that uses cricket to improve the lives of disadvantaged young people, including those with visual impairments. GLFB is helping to fund two forthcoming awareness days at Lord's Cricket Ground and The Brit Oval for visually impaired children and their families. Recently, we were lucky enough to visit Cricket for Change's purpose built centre, which was constructed in 2004 as part of the TV series 'With a Little Help from my Friends' during which the charity's President, Phil Tufnell, raised the resources needed. We enjoyed a sunny afternoon participating in a blind cricket match and meeting some of the remarkable young people that this organisation helps and inspires with its energy and vision.
Why cricket?
Andy Dalby-Walsh, the Director of Programmes for Cricket for Change, and visually-impaired ex-England cricketer, became registered blind at the age of 20, which understandably, he found devastating:
'Cricket for Change was vital in helping me to come to terms with my situation and has enabled me to build a new life.'
Ryan, 17, is a visually impaired England international cricketer and has been with the charity for five years. He has thrown himself into training and volunteering as a skilled and inspiring coach. He explained how 'Cricket for Change creates friendships, helps me maintain independence and offers me a positive focus.'
Sport is a great way of helping visually impaired and blind children and young people to engage with each other in a friendly environment and to build confidence. It teaches key life skills – communication, honesty, determination and respect – and importantly, it is a chance to have fun! Crucially, the programme that Cricket for Change runs offers the chance to be part of a sports team – a basic opportunity from which visually-impaired people are often excluded at school or university.
During training sessions and matches players can concentrate on any one of a number of skills – fielding, throwing, catching, batting and bowling. In a game, even if you get bowled first ball you can still take a catch, stop a ball reaching the boundary or get some one out. Everyone has a chance to be involved and the focus at Cricket for Change is on recognising that everyone has talent.
Thank you to our donors for helping to make blind cricket accessible to more young people across London.
How do you play blind cricket?
The standard rules of cricket are altered to accommodate visually impaired players:
- In national games, the ball used is a size three football with noise-making ball bearings inside it. Internationally, a smaller ball is used.
- The bowler needs to make the ball bounce twice before a visually-impaired batter hits it.
- Players with extremely low vision or who are blind have a runner to accompany their batting.
- Players with extremely low vision or who are blind score double points on runs!
- The players continually use their voices to communicate where they are standing to throw, catch or hit the ball to one another during the game.
Why not organise your own blind cricket match with a group of friends to experience what it's like to play sport with a visual impairment and raise money to help GLFB support a great cause?
