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| Sunday, 1 December 2002 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Blind cricketers eagerly await World Cup Tourney by PELHAM JURIANSZ It is not the sound of music but the sound of a cricket ball that one hears as one approaches the R. Premadasa (Khettarama) Stadium these days as our visually handicapped cricketers are hard at practice for the second visually handicapped World Cup to be held in Chennai (Madras) and Bangalore from December 3 to 14. The team leaves Sri Lanka tomorrow December 2. A total of 7 countries will participate in the World Cup and neighbours India, Pakistan, defending champs South Africa, England, Australia and Bangladesh will vie for honours. The previous World Cup was in '98 and Sri Lanka did not fare too well, losing all their matches. This time, the blind cricketers hope to fare much better in the six scheduled games. Chandana Kumara leads a 17-man squad that is hard at practice. It is indeed touching to see the visually handicapped at play and especially the B1 category of player who is totally blind. One of the bowlers Chandana Thushara who is totally blind, takes his cue for bowling from the wicketkeeper who claps his hands together to give the bowler an idea of where he has to bowl. The bowler then asks the batsman if he is ready and says "play" and then underarms the ball towards the batsman. A crease is marked 11 yds down the wicket mid-way between the batsman and the bowler and the ball which is plastic has to bump on either side of the crease, much like a table tennis match in order to be considered a legal delivery. Vice Captain U. Priyantha is also a (B1) category player and the others in the team are Vasantha Jayawardene (B2), Jayaratne and Samantha (B3), Madushanka (B2), Lakshan (B2), Jayaweera (B1), Kularatne (B1), Kalyana Kumara (B3). The B1-B3 categorisation is given by an authorised optometrist. The batsmen in the side who are expected to put up a good score are Vasantha Jayawardene (left hand), Samantha Rajapakse, Jayaratne, Lakdasa, Nalinda Dharmasena and Thushara. The allrounders in the side are Kalyana Kumara, and Chandana Kumara (skipper). The playing 11 must have B1 (four players totally blind) B2 (three players partially blind), B3 (four players visually handicapped but with the best sight of the three categories). The bowlers from whom much is expected are spinners Thushara Udayanga and Chandana Thushara, fast bowlers Madushanka and Udaya Kumara and also Siribadde Jayaweera. The ball that is being used by the visually handicapped is one of plastic manufacture with ball bearings inside which makes a sound as it rolls along the ground and it enables the batsmen and fielders to have an idea where the ball is. The Cricket Board has given much encouragement to the game by sending two coaches in Leslie Narangoda and Praneeth Peiris to coach the blind cricketers who are scheduled to go for the World Cup. Two umpires Lal Seneviratne and D. S. K. Athulathmudali will accompany the team along with Manager Ranjan Mahindawewa and Assistant Manager Alex Jayawardene. |
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