WeSchool partnered with Cricket Association for the blind in India (CABI) to measure the impact of its work and Blind Cricket in India. On 13th Feb 2021 the report was unveiled at the IndusInd Blind Cricket Conclave where Dr. Jyoti J Pant and Dr. Madhumita G Majumder presented the findings of the report and Dr. Anil Rao Paila was a speaker on the panel discussion on Social Impact.
Measuring Impact of Blind Cricket
With 15 million blind people, India has the largest population of blind on the planet. According to the National Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey 2019, blindness is more pronounced among illiterates and rural population. Visually impaired lack education, accessibility to buildings, equipment, parks, open spaces and public transport system and have a limited social network (Alma et al., 2012; Siu,2012; Elmar et al., 2012). Majority of them are unable to get adequate training to enter the workforce. Thus, there is a need to prepare them for life where they are confident of their abilities and economically self-sufficient.
Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI), is the apex body for governing, organizing and developing cricket for the blind in India. It is bringing a change in the society through the medium of sports. It uses cricket as a medium to showcase the talent of visually impaired players and build inclusion. The Centre of Excellence for Consultancy Projects (CECP), WeSchool Bengaluru campus signed an MOU with CABI for a consulting assignment to measure the impact of blind cricket.
Our faculty, Dr Jyoti Joshi Pant and Dr Madhumita attended the finals of Nagesh Trophy at Chinnaswamy Stadium in January 2020 and watched recordings to understand the game. Each blind cricket team consists of B1, B2 and B3 players based on their degree of eyesight. National Institute for the Visually Handicapped (NIVH), Dehradun has developed the audio ball made of hard plastic with ball bearings inside which is now the accepted international standard. The rules are adapted from mainstream cricket to suit the needs of the visually impaired players both in T20 and ODI formats. Twenty-six state teams participate in Nagesh Trophy at a national level every year and the world cup is organised every four years.
The current study used the European Venture Philanthropy Association (EVPA) framework to measure impact. The first phase involved interviewing the top management of CABI to understand their purpose and vision. The second phase focussed on interviewing state cricket boards and zonal secretaries to understand their perspective. In the third phase, interviews were conducted with 201 blind-cricketers to assess the improvements in their physical activity, mental well-being, social life and economic independence. The last-phase was a qualitative assessment tracing the successful life stories of two international cricketers Mr Sukhram Manjhi and Mr Lokesha.
The results confirmed good mental health, high accessibility and adaptability for the players. After joining cricket, they experienced an increase in their confidence, satisfaction, quality of life and social status. Many players started their journey in rural India with poverty, blindness and social isolation. Due to their cricketing talent and the opportunities provided by CABI, today they are well known international cricketers and pursuing higher studies. Playing cricket has helped players learn life skills, empowered them and enabled their inclusion into the mainstream society. CABI is playing a crucial role in training and coaching the players, organising national and international matches, and an opportunity to interact with the media and fans. CABI requires recognition and support from the Union and State government and the BCCI to get meaningful employment for the players.
