The Hindu Business Line : Blind cricket team to tour England

The Indian Blind Cricket Team will play England in England, and if past records are anything to go by it may well come back victorious. But Indian audiences will not get to see the five one-day internationals. Cricket for the blind has no takers despite the many sports channels, including some dedicated exclusively to the game. “If sports channels want they can be creative and include other forms of the game. Unfortunately, they think in only one direction,” sa ys Mr George Abraham, Chairman, Association for Cricket for the Blind in India. Cricket for the blind has only been broadcast on the state broadcaster Doordarshan’s channels in the past. There have been no takers for the upcoming series in England either, which should have been sold by the hosts. However, news coverage of the event is expected from the local news media, including BBC. Captained by Manvendra Singh Patwal, the team is making its trip outside the subcontinent. The 40 overs a side matches will be played at Worcester, Wocestershire and has sponsorship support from Reebok and Standard Chartered. The World Blind Cricket Council has been in talks with the International Cricket Council to negotiate an affiliation with the ICC.

— Meera Mohanty