The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have named five Warwickshire players in the 15-man Visually Impaired squad for the upcoming World Cup in India.
England will kick off their competition on 31st January against Pakistan in Delhi. They will then compete against Australia, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies in a round-robin format. The top four teams will then qualify for the semi-finals and final on 11th and 12th February respectively.
Bears’ All-rounder Luke Sugg will captain the side in a World T20 tournament for the second time, and is joined by fellow Warwickshire players Justin Hollingsworth,
The squad includes two uncapped players; Rory Hossell and Gareth Jones. Rory joins his brother Edward in the squad while Gareth is aiming to represent England at a second sport, having already played international football.
ECB’s Head of Disability Cricket Ian Martin said: “The squad has developed so much under Ross Hunter over the last four years I have no doubt that we will be competitive in the tournament. Playing in India is a wonderful experience for cricketers at all levels and our Visually Impaired Squad are no different.
“I know that the team will prepare well and perform to the best of their ability – if they do that then we’ll have a great chance to take on the blind cricket powerhouses of India and Pakistan.”
England Visually Impaired Head Coach Ross Hunter said: “I am incredibly excited about this group of players. It is the most talented group that I’ve had the opportunity to be involved with.
“We know that we will need to play two of the best games that we’ve ever played to win the tournament and I think we have the ability within the squad to do that. I think that’s a first for England Visually Impaired cricket, which is fantastic.”
England Visually Impaired Squad:
- Luke Sugg – Captain, Warwickshire
- Amin Afshari – Kent
- Peter Blueitt – Yorkshire
- Matthew Dean – London Metro
- Nathan Foy – Warwickshire
- Daniel Field – Sussex
- Justin Hollingsworth – Warwickshire
- Edward Hossell – Somerset
- Rory Hossell – Somerset
- Gareth Jones – London Metro
- Mahomed Khatri – Warwickshire
- Simon Ledwith – Sussex
- James Millard – Sussex
- Matthew Page – London Metro
- Mark Turnham – Warwickshire
England fixtures
- 31.01.17 England vs Pakistan
- 01.02.17 England vs New Zealand
- 02.02.17 England vs India
- 03.02.17 England vs Sri Lanka
- 04.02.17 England vs South Africa
- 05.02.17 England vs Bangladesh
- 07.02.17 England vs Nepal
- 08.02.17 England vs Australia
- 09.02.17 England vs West Indies
- 11.02.17 Semi-finals
- 12.02.17 Final
