KOCHI: Tackling adversities is nothing new for the Kerala Blind Women’s Cricket team. This lockdown too has not daunted their passion for the game as they keep finding ways to stay mentally and physically fit. The team has been undergoing basic training sessions through WhatsApp under the guidance of coach Vidya Vijayakumar, who is a former player of the Pathanamthitta women’s cricket team.
Due to the ban on outdoor sporting activities, a few team members have been practising cricket indoors to not lose touch. “I’m focusing on improving my handgrip and strength while batting. Since blind cricket uses underarm bowling, we cannot practise hanging ball drills, where the ball is placed at a greater height,” said Thanooja C George, captain of the team. One among the three all-rounders in the squad, she practises various batting techniques and positions at home. A partially sighted player, she also spends her spare time watching cricket matches and listening to its commentary.
Apart from cricket, the team is also provided with online sessions on spoken English and house management, which is organised by the Cricket Association for the Blind in Kerala (CABK). “Cooking is something that interests me other than cricket,” said Ani A P, a team member, who hails from Malappuram.
‘Blind players are being neglected by govt’
The negligence shown by society towards visually-challenged cricketers over the course of the lockdown was highlighted by Rajanish Henry, vice-president of Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) and secretary of CABK. “Some senior players stopped playing and now work at rehabilitation centres due to lack of financial assistance given to them by the government. We are now giving them training in personality development and home science as well, so as to help them build a career outside of cricket,” he said.
The CABK provided monetary assistance to over 50 financially struggling players in both the men’s and women’s blind cricket teams to help them tide over the present crisis. “Most parents of the players are daily wage workers. With many being out of work, their situation was getting worse and we had to do something to help them. The team’s sponsors and well-wishers helped us mobilise the fund,” he said. According to him, most visually-challenged people in the state are having a tough time following Covid norms. “There is a fear of going outside as social distancing is difficult for them. So we are creating awareness programmes for the society and the visually-challenged community,” said.