Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The state capital is hosting the first ever India-Bangladesh bilateral series for blind cricketers on Faith Cricket Ground in Ratibad. But, not many know the intricate details of the game when blind players are in the field.
Free Press talked to the international blind cricketer and general secretary of Cricket Association for Blind in Madhya Pradesh, Sonu Golkar, to know the nitty-gritty of the game.
While the game remains more or less the same, there are certain modifications in the kits, pitches and the ground for the blind to play, says Golkar.
Category of players:
B1 (Totally blind players): No light perception in either eye up to light perception, but inability to recognise shape of a hand at any distance or in any direction
B2 (Partially blind players): From ability to recognise the shape of the hand up to a visual acuity of 2/60 or visual field of less than five degrees in the better eye after correction
B3 (Partially sighted players): From visual acuity above 2/60 to visual acuity of 6/60 or a visual field of less than 20 degrees in better eye after correction.
No of players: 11 on each side
A minimum of 4 B1 players
At least 3 of B2 players
A maximum of 4 B3 players
Identification:
B1: White wrist band on the right wrist or carry one white stripe on the right upper arm of the playing shirt.
B2: Red wrist band on the right wrist or carry two white stripes on the right upper arm of the playing shirt.
B3: Blue wrist band on the right wrist or carry three white stripes on the right upper arm of the playing shirt.
Pitch:
The pitch though is the standard 22 yards surface, turf or synthetic grass, but the boundary size is comparatively lower ranging from a minimum of 45 yards to a maximum 55.
Playing equipment:
Bat: Same as in regular cricket
Ball: Significantly larger than a standard cricket ball (for partially blind to see it slightly)
Filled with ball bearings to provide audible cues (for completely blind to hear it)
Wicket (stumps):
Made of wood, plastic or metal tubes (if on artificial surface) painted in fluorescent colours, to allow partially sighted players to see and blind players to touch it in order to correctly orient themselves when batting or bowling. Slightly larger in size compared to regular cricket. No removable bails permitted.
Batting and Bowling:
The bowling has to be underarm always.
The delivery is required to pitch at least twice when bowled to a batsman, but must not be rolling.
The bowler has to say ‘ready?’ to the batsman when he is set to bowl. To which the batsman has to respond by calling out ‘yes’. At the point of delivery, the bowler must say ‘play’. Failure to do so will result in a no ball being called.
A no-ball will also be called if the call of ‘play’ is, in the opinion of the umpire, early or late.
Game Rules:
B1 shall have a runner
B2 has the option of a runner
Batsman who has opted for a runner cannot act as a runner for another batsman
A "one bounce" catch by a B1 player will result in the batsman being given out
Totally blind batsmen cannot be out due to being stumped
Totally blind batsmen must be found to be LBW twice before going out
All international matches are 40 overs per side. There are also Twenty20 and 3-day games
Scoring and Penalty:
The number of runs scored by a B1 batsman shall be doubled and will be awarded to the batsman.
No ball will have a penalty of one-run plus what has been scored.
A free-hit will be awarded after no balls caused by a foot fault.
Field changes are not allowed for free hit deliveries until and unless there is a change of striker.
The umpires will signal the free hit by raising one arm upwards and rotating it in a circular motion above the head.
