Vision Australia is a proud sponsor of the Australian Blind Cricket team that will take on England in January.
The 17-man squad, plus officials, will kick-off the series with a T20 on January 22 at Park 25 in Adelaide.
Ron Hooton, Chief Executive of Vision Australia, said the series partnership will mark the start of a long-term commitment to the sport.
“When it comes to cricket, there is no better rivalry than England and Australia. The players, both past and present, have accessed Vision Australia’s services at some point so we’ve recognised that, through partnership, we will be able to achieve better access to the sport for all ages and levels for future generations to come,” he said.
Blind cricket is a version of the sport of cricket adapted for blind and low vision players.
It started in Melbourne in 1922 by two blind factory workers who improvised the game using a tin can containing rocks. The Victorian Blind Cricket Association was founded shortly after and the first sports ground and clubhouse for blind cricket was built at Kooyong, Melbourne in 1928 where Vision Australia is still located.
Raymond Moxly, Chairman of Blind Cricket Australia, said Vision Australia’s partnership is a significant step for the sport.
“Vision Australia’s on-going support helps us in a number of ways. Firstly, this will be the first international series where the players haven’t had to self-fund their participation. But going forward, Blind Cricket Australia will have better access to people in the community through Vision Australia’s networks as the leading provider of blind and low vision services. Together, we’ll be able to better promote the sport, encourage more people to participate at a grassroots level, and facilitate better access to test venues,” he said.
The Australian Blind Cricket team will come together in Adelaide on January 18 for a three-day training camp. The team last played England in 2012 where they won the series 3-0.