By Shamanth BS
The men in blue have always been consistent in making the country proud. In front of 25,000 spectators in M. Chinnaswamy Stadium of Bengaluru, India defeated Pakistan to clinch the 2017 T20 Blind Cricket World Cup. The hosts had won eight of their nine league matches while Pakistan had won all.
Indian cricket team is the only blind team in the world to win all three championships T20 World Cup, ODI World Cup and the Asian championship organised by the World Blind Cricket Council (WBC), which is the governing body for blind cricket at the international level. The reciprocation, however, by the authorities in India, is appalling.
The sad truth about financial neglect
After winning the 2017 T20 Cricket World Cup, Ajay Reddy, captain of the Indian cricket team, in an interview to Mid-Day said, Im proud to win the World Cup for the country in front of 25,000 spectators but at the same time, I feel sad that 14 out of these 17 players are struggling due to poor financial conditions. As disturbing as the fact is, only three players of the Indian blind cricket team have decent jobs to support their families. The other cricketers are struggling to make ends meet. Even after winning acclaimed trophies in the past, the unsung heroes of our country are spending money from their own pockets to take part in cricket matches.
In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the members of the blind cricket team at his official residence to congratulate them for winning the World Cup. Later, in his popular radio address Mann Ki Baat, he termed them as role models. However, the aid to uplift blind cricket by the sports ministry is very minimal. There are more than 40,000 blind cricketers in India. The idleness of authorities in the country is shattering the dreams of these sportspersons.
BCCI has turned a cold shoulder too
The Cricket Association for the Blind in India has been struggling to provide cricket kits, to conduct selection trials and manage travel fares since 2011. Blind cricket is gaining momentum worldwide by motivating people who have lost their eyesight. Globally, all blind cricket teams are affiliated with national cricket boards. The Indian blind cricket team is the only team which is not affiliated with its national cricket board Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI).
BCCI is the richest cricket governing body in the world. In association with the state cricket boards, BCCI also enjoys the privilege of decision-making at the national level. The BCCI provides a huge sum of pay, swanky jerseys and other amenities to the Indian cricket team. But for blind cricket, it still has a worms-eye view and has been reluctant to accept it.
Initially, BCCI had approved to provide INR 2 crores for organising the 2017 T20 Cricket World Cup in India. But BCCIs tussle with the Lodha Committee recommendations evoked their removal in the last minute. This left the Blind T20 World Cup organisers in disgust.
The need for a moment of action
The BCCI must learn from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on the conduct of blind cricket. The PCB pays 15,000-20,000 for its blind cricketers on a monthly basis. Moreover, separate funds are allocated for the betterment of cricketers. More than ten tournaments exclusively meant for the blind cricketers are conducted every year, which includes 6 domestic tournaments at the national level along with 2-3 super leagues.
Blind cricket is a platform for the all-round development of the visually impaired. It motivates the people who have the sight to foresee their vision. The players who take part in the blind cricket tournaments by fighting against all the odds are ambassadors for millions of visually impaired. The BCCI needs to recognise the importance of blind cricket and the government should take responsibility to help the players participating in this sport.