Jay Shah is asked to lead the national disability teams by ECB secretary Richard Gould

In a letter to BCCI secretary Jay Shah, ECB secretary Richard Gould proposed the creation of two teams: one for blind or visually impaired cricket players and another for those with physical, mental, or intellectual disabilities.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has received a proposal from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to create two national disability cricket teams in India. The goal of this effort is to make cricketing more accessible and to raise awareness of the sport in communities with disabilities.

The Differently Abled Cricket Council of India (DCCI), a BCCI subcommittee, is currently in existence in India. Nevertheless, the Indian board does not separately plan cricket competitions for players with disabilities.

Gould’s letter, which was also sent to PCB COO Salman Naseer, CSA CEO Phletsi Moseki, and CEO of Cricket Australia Nick Hockley, emphasises the necessity of a coordinated approach for the various disability cricket formats.

“We suggest that boards run two international teams: a pan-disability team comprised of deaf, cognitively handicapped, and physically disabled cricket players, and a blind XI team operating independently. In 2025, we would be eager and ready to play host to the first-ever pan-disability competition including our five countries. Gould remarked, as cited by India Today, “The ICC are keen to show collective support for this approach to ensure any steps are member-driven.”

“Global disability cricket is frequently unsupported, unstructured, and unregulated. In disability cricket, there are numerous codes for blind, deaf, intellectually disabled, and physically disabled players. He said, “There has been a general lack of coordination and strategy that sits across all four.”

We haven’t given this area of sports collective priority: Richard Gould

In addition, the ECB secretary suggested holding the first-ever pan-disability competition in 2025, which would include five countries. Since discussions about this idea are scheduled to occur during the ICC Annual Conference in Colombo, timing is of the essence.

Gould is anticipated to attend the Chief Executives Meet, where it is probable that this subject will be discussed. Serving as a liaison between his organisation and the BCCI, Ravi Chauhan, the head of the DCCI, is also anticipated to be in Sri Lanka for these talks.

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Gould continued, “This has not been a sport we have prioritised as a group, and although financial constraints are felt now more than ever, it is time for us to unite to elevate the disability game.”

It is impossible to overestimate this initiative’s potential impact. There is an untapped market for cricket in the 1.3 billion people who live with various disabilities worldwide.