The BBC reports that blind cricket has been played around the world for decades but in May 2008 a modified form of the game finally began in cricket-loving Bangladesh.Invented in Australia in 1922, the game's basic rules are the same as regular cricket but there are some key differences:
Firstly, the two teams need to have the same balance of players who are completely blind and those who can see to a certain extent. That means that, while a blind player will bat, bowl or throw the ball entirely by himself, when he is running or looking for the ball, he can be helped and guided by teammates with slighter better vision. Then there is the ball itself. It looks like a normal white cricket ball but it is softer and lighter, and it rattles. The bowlers bowl underarm. They roll the ball along the ground towards the batsman who then, when he hears it, has to hit it as hard as he can.The disability organization that introduced blind cricket to the country hopes it will help change attitudes toward disabled or blind people there.
According to the BBC, "a disabled or blind child is often seen as being a terrible burden on a family. They are less likely to be put through school, get a job and start their own family, than others. It is common for blind people to become beggars or buskers."
"The life of a disabled person is a struggle. They are the most marginalised people," says Musharaff Hossein, of the charity Action on Disability and Development, which helped introduce blind cricket to Bangladesh.
The idea is to show other Bangladeshis what visually impaired people are capable of achieving and then give them something to cheer on, the BBC says.
"Disabled people also want to contribute," he says, "and make the world enjoyable for all."
There are plans to organize a blind cricket league, as well as a national team.
