The Indian cricket fans slammed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after news surfaced that the England Cricket Board (ECB) helped the women’s blind team ahead of International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) World Games 2023 in Birmingham. The ECB came forward to subsidies the accommodation cost of the Indian team, which was facing financial challenges due to the lack of support from the BCCI.
Notably, the Indian men’s and women’s blind cricket teams are among the five countries that will participate in the inaugural cricket event at the IBSA World Games. The other teams are hosts England, Australia, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The Indian teams are considered as favourites, as they have won multiple World Cups in both 50-over and T20 formats.
However, the journey to Birmingham was not easy for the Indian blind cricketers, who had to overcome several hardships due to the lack of recognition and funding from the BCCI. The Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI), which is affiliated to the World Blind Cricket Council (WBCC), has been seeking official recognition from the BCCI for a long time, but to no avail.
The CABI officials expressed their gratitude to the ECB for their gesture, which they said exemplified the true spirit of sportsmanship and camaraderie. They also thanked IndusInd Bank for making their visit possible.
The Netizens called out the Indian cricket board for not financially helping the Indian women’s blind team despite being the richest cricket board in the world.
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Many users also praised the ECB for their remarkable act and urged the BCCI to take notice and extend their help to the visually impaired athletes.
The IBSA World Games 2023 is starting from August 18 and will conclude on August 27. The University of Birmingham and other regional venues will host players from 70 nations to compete in 10 sports.
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