I’d like to see day our players make living from game
Age: 36 Role: England captain, middleorder batsman England appearances: 13
What is your story? I lost my foot at 16 months old due to a birth deformity but my family are cricket mad and put a bat in my hands from when I could walk. I played mainstream cricket for Chester-le-Street and school cricket – and I was with Durham up to U19s level – but it was not until I reached 32 that I played disability cricket because the infrastructure wasn’t there. What is the qualifying criteria? As far physical disability goes, we are all merged into one. There’s a screening process to make sure you are a qualifying level of impairment that would only become more complex as the game grows. For example, some would like to see a leg amputee team, and the aim is trying to up the numbers involved. Could PD cricketers give the county game a crack? I don’t see why not. I played Durham up to U19 level and the technology back then was not as advanced as it is now. What I use is not quite the level of Jonnie Peacock but it’s not far off.We can hit the ball as far as anyone – Kevin Pietersen was around in Dubai where we were playing last month and he was quite taken aback at the skill level. First-class may be a step too far for the hand impaired. Not in fielding, they almost gain another sense with a super strong hand, some of the catches I’ve seen have been amazing. But when a ball is coming down at you at 85 or 90mph, batting would be a problem. Who are the most promising English PD cricketers? Alex Hammond is playing grade cricket in Australia and he is there or thereabouts – I think he is getting some interest from Minor Counties teams. He’s a powerful opening batsman. Callum Flynn is in the middle-order, an all-rounder, and some of his hitting would make anyone’s highlight reels. Alex has club feet and Callum has an artificial knee. What are your greatest achievements and long-term goals? I captained the side in the inaugural World Cup victory which was a huge achievement but the biggest goal is for the game to develop. When I stop playing internationally, I want to see the World Cup taking place regularly. We want a seven-team tournament in the UK in 2019 and it would be great to play it alongside the mainstream World Cup. One of the most important things is to encourage sides to involve us in the mainstream game and realise the standard that can be achieved. What is the team’s relationship like with the ECB? We are part of the ECB, not just connected to them. Those of us who drive are ‘expensed’, we get nutritional, medical, coaching support – everything we need. But it would be fantastic to think at some point the game could be commercialised. With the Paralympics and Invictus Games, you can see the huge amount of interest it creates. I’d like to think the youngest of us could make a living out of cricket.