Thursday, November 8 2007

BHAWANI PERSAD, president of the Trinidad and Tobago Blind Cricket Association has been elected secretary of the World Blind Cricket Council (WBCC).

The appointment took place at the annual general meeting of the organisation held at Lord’s Cricket Ground in England on September 27.

Persad who is also the secretary of the West Indies Cricket Council for the blind will now be responsible for the development of cricket for the blind in the Atlantic region.

Former secretary of the WBCC Geoff Smith of England will assume the presidency from Australian Peter Donovan who is now the vice-president.

At the AGM, Nepal was inducted into the WBCC which brings the member nations to nine (Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa and the West Indies).

In his inaugural address as president, Smith pointed out that relationships have begun to be forged between the ICC and national boards with regards to promoting blind cricket as much as conventional cricket.

Among the activities to be implemented over the next four years is a four-a-side tournament with blind and sighted cricketers playing together.

This competition involving the members of the WBCC is scheduled for late 2010/ early 2011 and will be jointly hosted by India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The newest form of the game, 20/20 cricket is also to be introduced in the development programme.