HISTORY OF CRICKET FOR THE BLIND IN THE WEST INDIES by the Barbados Blind Cricket Association

In 2001 Mr. Clevedon Mayers as President of the Barbados Council for the Disabled met with Mr. Roger Fuggle at Discovery Bay Hotel, St. James, Barbados to discuss introducing Blind Cricket to Barbados. Mr. Mayers approached the Barbados Cricket Association, the National Disabilities Unit and the Paralympic Association of Barbados for these Organizations to take up the challenge. In July 2002 Mr. Mayers still President of the Council, held further discussions in London with Mr. Andy Sellins Coach of the English Blind Cricket. In October 2002, Mr. Andy Sellins and Mr. Timothy Guttridge visited Barbados and demonstrated Blind Cricket with a Cricket Pitch at an Exhibition called the Home Show which landed the Barbados Council for the Disabled the top Prize for Most Outstanding Booth. This was followed up by a visit of an English Blind Cricket Team to Barbados in March 2003 where two matches were played. One against the Celebrities in Queen’s Park and this was attended by over eight hundred persons. The Team lost against the Celebrities who included players like Joel Garner, Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes. The second Match was against the Barbados Blind Cricket Association which they won. These Matches were organized by the Barbados Council for the Disabled. . Affirmative action was initiated in July 2003, when a group of English players/Officials visited Barbados to conduct a workshop for people from the Caribbean. Two members of that party, namely Geoff Smith and Tim Guttridge journeyed to Trinidad & Tobago funded by the Caribbean Council for the Blind to make a Presentation on Blind Cricket at the Biennial General Meeting of the Caribbean Council for the Blind. They called upon the delegates to take up the challenge of introducing the game in the respective territories. In January 2004, a full English team visited Barbados for a series of matches. Two Trinidadians joined their Barbadian counterparts for that three match series, which the hosts lost but viewed as a step in development. Barbados was the first territory to establish its Blind Cricket Association. (Barbados Blind Cricket Association) in 2005. It was incorporated as a Non Profit Organization under the Companies Act of Barbados on March 30th, 2006 with Company No. 26885.

Jamaica was the second territory to form its Blind Cricket Association (Jamaica Visually Impaired Cricket Association) In January 2005, a full English team visited Jamaica for a series of demonstration matches. It was during this visit that the West Indies Cricket Council for the Blind interim committee was inaugurated. At this point only three countries were involved namely, Host Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago. The members of the first interim committee were as follows: President: Daemion McLean. Vice President: Leroy Williams. Secretary General: Bhawani Persad. Treasurer: Margaret Jones. Cricket Development Officer: Vivalyn Latty-Scott. In October 2005, The West Indies Cricket Council for the Blind was admitted as a full member of the World Blind Cricket Council at a meeting in South Africa attended by President Daemion McLean and development officer Vivalyn Latty-Scott. Trinidad & Tobago was the third territory to launch its Blind Cricket Association (T & T Blind Cricket Association.) In September 2005,with the support of the Caribbean Council for the Blind, Training personnel from the World Blind Cricket Council and the Trinidad & Tobago Blind Cricket Association, the First regional training programme for mainstream cricket coaches from the Caribbean was held at the National Cricket Center, Balmaine Couva. Nine (9) Coaches from the following territories received training. Guyana, Barbados, Jamaica, St. Lucia/Windward Islands and Trinidad & Tobago were involved. The T & T players were also part of the process from which was developed a model for future training to be undertaken in the region. Other training programmes were subsequently held in St. Lucia/Windward Islands, and Guyana. The programme for the Leeward Islands has been put on hold because of the lack of funding. Guyana was the fourth territory to launch its Blind Cricket Association (Guyana Blind Cricket Association). The Windward Islands launched its sub regional sporting organization (the Windward Islands Cricket and Sporting Association for Visually Impaired persons.) In March 2006, two representatives of the following Countries- Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and the Windward Islands attended a General Meeting at the Pommarine Hotel, Barbados, where

approval of the Constitution of WICCB was given. The West Indies Cricket Council for the Blind was officially launched by Honourable Trevor Prescod, the Minister of Social Transformation. The West Indies Cricket Council for the Blind Inc. was incorporated as a Non Profit Organization under the Companies Act of Barbados on March 7th 2008 with Company Number 30419. INTER TERRITORIAL MATCHES. In May 2005, Barbados visited Trinidad & Tobago for a series of two matches which the Barbadians won. In November of the said year, some representatives of the Trinidad and Barbados Blind Cricket Teams visited Dominica for a promotional game, witnessed by a large and enthusiastic crowd at the Botanic Gardens grounds. To date, Dominica has been the only territory in the Caribbean where the game is broadcast live on National Radio. In March 2006, some players from Trinidad again joined their Barbadian counterparts for a weekend of cricket activities which saw the launch of the Guyana Blind Cricket Association and two promotional games involving mix teams. St. Lucia and Dominica in late May 2006, gathered in St. Lucia for the first Windward Islands Tournament for a week of cricket activities. They were joined by Barbados for some promotional and development games. In May 2007, The Trinidad & Tobago team visited Barbados and St. Lucia for two matches in each territory. For the T & T team there was a little history in the making for it was the first time since these two teams have been meeting that T & T finally defeated Barbados in one of the games thereby drawing that particularly series. In St. Lucia, the T & T Team won both games. Following the first Regional Tournament in Barbados in July 2006, the first West Indies Blind Cricket Team was selected to participate in the Third Cricket World Cup for the Blind in Pakistan in December of the same year. The team placed fifth from seven participating nations. The Caribbean Council for the Blind contributed significant funding to the cause. Prior to the team’s departure from Trinidad they were involved in a nine day camp funded by the sports company of Trinidad & Tobago. The Second Regional Cricket Tournament was held in Jamaica where Jamaica retained the title. The Third Regional Tournament was held in Trinidad & Tobago in March 2008 the finals of which were hampered by

rain resulting in both Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago being declared joint winners. In 2008, A West Indies team was again selected this time for a series of matches against an under 19 team from the London Cricket Community Association (LCCA now referred to as Cricket for Change). The two matches were held in Barbados which the team won convincingly. They were not as fortunate however, when they visited England, for a series against the English senior Blind Cricket Team, losing both matches. Our dialogue with the West Indies Cricket Board held in October 2007 have thus far resulted in some assistance being given for one delegate being able to participate in the 2007 meeting of the World Blind Cricket Council and having a link on the WICB web site. Discussion on affiliation is a work in progress since it must start at the country level. Focus at this time is on preparing for the Fourth Regional Tournament to be held in Guyana, from July 18 – 26, 2009 to be followed one week later by a series of Matches in Trinidad & Tobago involving the West Indies and current world champions, Pakistan. 2011 Update:

• 5th Regional Tournament was held in Barbados from June 5th – 19th 2010.

• Australia Blind Cricket Team made its first visit to the Caribbean at that time.

• The 6th Regional Tournament is to be held in Jamaica from July 15 – July 22nd 2011.