Blind cricketers return to stage
Blind cricket in New Zealand is undergoing a revival.
For the first time in 10 years a Kiwi team is preparing to attend a Blind Cricket World Cup.
New Zealand will play alongside nine other nations at the second T20 Blind Cricket World Cup in India in February 2017.
New Zealand Blind Cricket Association president Donna McCaskill has been around international blind cricket for 16 years and was part of New Zealand’s last world cup side in 2006 in Pakistan.
She admits an inability to field a competitive side has kept New Zealand on the international sidelines in recent years. But says years dedicated to developing the game and the structure of the governing organisation is helping to change that.
McCaskill says the current team, coached by former White Fern Maia Lewis, will be the strongest New Zealand side in a long time.
Trialists range in age from early teens to mid-50s. From totally blind to those with varying degrees of vision.
Some have played the game for a couple of months, others nearer to a couple of decades.
But all the men and women involved, who hail from various towns and cities around the North Island, have only a few months to hone their skills and raise the money needed to get to the subcontinent.
Captain James Dunn holds the New Zealand record for the highest score in an international innings of 149 scored at the 1998 World Cup.
Dunn says international competition is a couple of levels up from what his teammates are currently experiencing in local competition and they need to be prepared to face faster bowlers.
New Zealand’s return to the world cup was spurred on by a visit from an Australian development team last year.
This tour was the first time in almost 20 years that New Zealand had hosted another side and McCaskill says this started the pathway back into the international fold.
The 17 Kiwi cricketers and four officials are now fundraising to make sure they are among the 10 teams vying for the cup.
A Givealittle page has been set up with a goal of $50,000, but one month in has only received $1500.
Go to https://givealittle.co.nz/ cause/nzbcat20wc2017 to donate.