Formation of Pakistan’s first blind cricket team for women announced

ISLAMABAD: Australia’s high commissioner to Pakistan, Margaret Adamson, and the chairman of the Pakistan Blind Cricket Council, Syed Sultan Shah, on Monday announced the formation of Pakistan’s first blind cricket team for women.
“Australia and Pakistan share a passion for cricket, so we are happy to support the Pakistan Blind Cricket Council’s efforts to bring women and girls living with disabilities into the sport,” Adamson said in a statement.
“By providing women and girls with disabilities the opportunity to compete and demonstrate their physical ability, sport can help to reduce gender stereotypes and negative perceptions associated with people with disabilities.”
The Australian High Commission sponsored one of the two six-day training clinics for visually impaired women from across Pakistan, culminating in the formation of the team at a 10-overs match played at the Kinnaird College for Women in Lahore.
“Coach Nafees Ahmed helped these players push their boundaries. They are brilliant exponents of Pakistan’s best-loved game and a source of inspiration for us all,” Adamson said.
Ahmed coached the national men’s team to victory in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups. The new team is expected to play its first international Twenty20 game against Nepal in January 2019, as part of the second ever women’s blind cricket series.
Shah said: “Cricket for the blind is a highly competitive game that enables people with visual impairment to become people of vision — a vision of an accessible future full of exciting opportunities for all.”
Two blind factory workers invented blind cricket in Melbourne, Australia, in 1922, when they improvised the game using a tin can containing rocks. 
In 1928, the first sports ground and clubhouse for blind cricket was built at Kooyong in Melbourne.
Game rules
The World Blind Cricket Council has set separate rules for blind cricket teams, as some players are partially blind while others are completely blind.
A special ball filled with metal ball bearings is used to help the batsman and fielders hear the movement of the ball and respond accordingly. 
The bowling technique for the blind cricket team is also different, as deliveries are kept underarm.
Verbal signals are widely used by both umpires and players. The bowler shouts “ready?” before releasing the ball, to which the batsman must respond by saying “yes.” The bowler then shouts “play” before releasing the ball.