KZN Blind Cricket team makes Durban proud

NEW Germany resident Ndumiso Nyawose, the president of the KZN Blind Cricket Association and head coach of the Hollywoodbets SA KZN Blind Cricket team, says that the sport empowers visually impaired people.

Nyawose fell in love with blind cricket in 2017, some years after his Retinitis Pigmentosa diagnosis.

The cricketer says, “A teammate who was totally blind told me his career was in IT, which sounded impossible, but he had an IT and music degree. It was really inspiring to interact with other visually impaired people, to see what they had been able to accomplish in their lives and how free they were on the field. Players are unrestricted on the pitch as there’s no fear of obstacles. It’s one place where blind people can feel free, empowered, and become self-confident, which reaches into your general life, too.”

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The Blind Cricket South Africa T20 National Tournament (BCSA T20) was played in Durban in early October, with the finals played at Kingsmead Cricket Stadium. The team from KZN finished as semi-finalists, with the Northerns Blind Cricket and Lions Blind Cricket teams jointly sharing first place.

Nyawose said, “It was great to host a national tournament with nine teams for the first time. The competition was good, and we had some impressive performances, with quite a few surprise results which made it more exciting. Six KZN players were selected for the national squad, which will compete in the Blind Cricket World Cup due to take place in India, from December 4 to 17.”

The president of the association was a second-year university student when he first experienced difficulties with driving and studying, which led to him abandoning his degree. Following his diagnosis by an ophthalmologist some years later, he joined the KZN Blind and Deaf Society. A computer course led to Nyawose learning braille through the organisation. He subsequently joined the blind cricket team and re-enrolled to complete his BCom degree.

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The cricket coach says that the sport is played similarly to conventional cricket with some modifications.

“In an 11-player team, there are categories of participants – four who are blind, known as B1 Category players; a minimum of three partially blind cricketers, named B2 Category players, and a maximum of four partially sighted people,” says Nyawose.

According to Nyawose, the sport ‘relies heavily on sound and communication’. The cricket ball is made of hard, white plastic with loose bearings inside that make a noise when in play.

“The B3 players offer verbal assistance and guidance to teammates. Once they can locate the ball’s position, they direct their teammates with verbal cues. It’s all about communication, and then the game becomes tactical in how the team sets themselves up on the field.”

Bowling is done underarm to ensure fewer injuries, and the ball needs to bounce at least once before crossing the halfway line on the pitch. The stumps are made from brightly coloured steel, which emits a loud sound on impact.

Nyawose says, “Bowling is reliant on communication, as the bowler asks the batsman if he is ready, and only once he replies does the bowler release the ball, shouting ‘play’ as the ball leaves his hand. So, the batsman is aware the ball is in the air. The wicketkeeper calls out from behind the stumps to give the bowler his line.”

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The coach describes blind cricket as a team sport in the purest sense and says it is a game that gives back to people.

“I’d like to encourage as many people as possible to get involved in the sport – as volunteers to assist us but also anyone who is visually impaired to join the blind cricket team.”

Enquiries: FB page – KZN Blind Cricket Updates or Ndu Nyawose at 082 962 2006.

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