Cricket for Blind to be held in Dubai through the Bhima Friendship Triangular Cricket Series for the Blind involving India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka

By K.R. Nayar

Dubai. The Bhima Friendship Triangular Cricket Series for the Blind presented by World Memon Organisation (WMO) will be held at the ICC Academy, involving India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka from today - February 22 (Thursday) to February 25th (Sunday). A press conference to announce this series was held at the India Club on February 20. It took me on a journey back to 2018 when I had reported on the Blind Cricket World Cup held at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, where India lifted the World Cup beating Pakistan by two wickets.

 

With the organisers, sponsors and media that attended the press conference at the India Club 

There was a time when I used to wonder how the great former Indian captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, who lost his right eye in a car accident in 1961, could face the fearsome West Indies pacers like Andy Roberts and even hit a century. Reporting the 2018 Blind Cricket World Cup gave me a sense of the magnitude of Pataudi’s sharp senses and determination. It proved that, with willpower, any physical drawback can be overcome.

 

Prevailing over all such stumbling blocks, this series is being held in Dubai.

Making this series happen in Dubai are Rajanish Henry, World Blind Cricket Council Vice President and Cricket Association of Blind in Kerala (CABK)  Chairman, and Shylendher Yadav, General Secretary, Cricket Association for the Blind in India.

 

Sponsorship supporters for the series 

Ever since the World Cup was held in Sharjah, Henry has kept in touch with me, often commenting on any cricket stories that I post on my blog. Since he can hardly see, he uses screen reading tools to keep track of everything going on around. Two former Kerala cricketers, Fida Askar and Balaji Narayanan, informed me about this event and invited me for the press meet.

 

Rajanish Henry in discussion with former India captain and BCCI President Sourav Ganguly in 2020 at Kolkata 

With Bhima Jewellers as the title sponsors, this event is being turned into reality with support from Dubai-based businessman and cricket enthusiast E. K. Radhakrishnan Nambiar, who is the organizing committee chairman, backed by Co-Chairperson Shabana Abdul Razak (ARY Family), secretary U Nagaraja Rau (Director, Bhima UAE), coordinator Fida Askar (Former Ranji Trophy Player), and Treasurer Anoop Ravi. Nambiar is on a mission and is working on training and forming a UAE cricket team for the Blind. “We already have six blind local cricketers training and keen to play cricket. Soon we will have a UAE blind cricket team too,” he said.

 

Shylendher Yadav (left) and Rajanish Henry 

Yadav, speaking about how cricket for the blind is gaining popularity in India, announced that Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa will kick off the official opening of the tournament at Khalidiya Palace Hotel Dubai. “It was very tough to pick the 17 players for this series from India. There are nearly 28 teams from different states.” Yadav also revealed that blind cricket for women has been gaining popularity as well. With nearly 16 teams, it is expected an international series will be held soon.

 

While Henry explained to the media how cricket for the blind is played, I was reminded of how the playing eleven was made. In a team, the players are divided into B1, B2, and B3 categories.  B1 category has the totally blind; B2 - partially blind (3-4 meters); B3 - partially sighted (7 meters). Henry then displayed the ball filled with ball bearings that provide audible cues for the batsman to hit.

 

E.K. Radhakrishnan Nambiar 

Nambiar called on all cricket lovers to witness this series. Only then can one comprehend how these players manage to overcome the challenges of visual impairment and showcase their remarkable skill, determination, and teamwork on the field. “In the world of cricket, vision is often considered essential. For the next few days, we are privileged to witness a different kind of cricket here, where players will rely on their senses, their instincts, and their unwavering dedication to the sport,” said Nambiar.

 

Indian team after winning the 2018 Blind Cricket World Cup in Sharjah

This series will be played in a T20 format. India and Pakistan will face each other in the opening match on Feb 22nd. India will play Sri Lanka on Feb 23rd, and Pakistan will play Sri Lanka on Feb 24th. The final will be played on 25th. All matches will begin at 10 o'clock in the morning and will be live-streamed on the CABI YouTube channel.