环球英语 — 444：Blind Cricket
Voice 1
Hello, I’m Ruby Jones.
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And I’m Marina Santee. Welcome to Spotlight. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
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This is the game of cricket – the Indian way!There are the usual players on the field competing to win. But there is so much more than that to see! Singers, dancers, special light shows – all kinds of people perform to capture the interest of the crowd.
This is India’s newest cricket competition – the Indian Premier League, or IPL. Top players from the best cricketing nations join one of the eight IPL teams. These players receive thousands of dollars for each game they play. And, they become stars – both in India and in their home countries. Cricket players have never been so popular!
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Dhaka – the capital city of Bangladesh. Here, a cricket game is just beginning. But very few people are watching. And there are no dancers or singers to be seen. The playing field is not level. And some parts of the grass are covered with water – not good conditions for a game of cricket. This is a different world from the IPL!
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Bangladesh sits just beyond India’s eastern border. But Bangladesh’s cricket players do not enjoy the same kind of resources or money as India’s players. However, this has not reduced people’s love for the game. Some people play cricket in even the most difficult of situations!
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Hafizur Rahman is one such person. Hafizur played cricket for a team in Dhaka, Bangladesh’s capital city. He did this for seventeen years. He also trained a young men’s cricket team. But in 2003, Hafizur developed eye problems. Doctors operated on Hafizur’s eyes to try and prevent him from losing his sight. But sadly, they were not successful. And now Hafizur is almost blind – he can only see out of the corner of his eyes.
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However, Hafizur’s limited sight has not stopped him from continuing to play the game he loves. But how can that be possible, you may ask? A cricket ball is quite small – and extremely hard. The player who is batting needs good eyes to see the ball speeding towards him. Only then will he be able to hit it as far as he can. And this gives him more time to run up and down the field and make some “runs”.
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Well, Hafizur does still play cricket. But he plays a version of the game specially designed for blind people. Teams first started playing blind cricket in Bangladesh in May 2008. But the game was invented in Australia almost one hundred years earlier. The rules are similar to normal cricket. But some things are very different. First: the ball. It is lighter and less hard than a normal cricket ball. And it also makes a noise when it moves. This makes it easier for completely blind players to know which direction the ball is moving in.
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Secondly, the player bowling – throwing the ball – uses a different action. The usual method is to pull the arm back, then over the shoulder then release the ball at speed. In blind cricket, the bowler rolls the ball quickly along the ground instead.
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Also, the two teams must have an equal number of completely blind and limited–sight players. The limited–sight players can then tell the blind players where the ball has been hit. The game can be as fast and exciting as any usual game of cricket!
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As well as Bangladesh, twelve other countries play blind cricket. And Hafizur Rahman hopes that Bangladesh will soon be able to form a national side. Then, they could play games against international teams. For Hafizur, this means more than just playing a game. It is about proving their ability. He says:
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“We will have proved that we are not disabled but that we are people with different problems to solve.”
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This is something that is very important in a country like Bangladesh. It is hard for people who have any kind of physical problem like blindness. Often, their families do not have enough money to provide care or education for them. The cost of living is too high. Unemployment is widespread. Food prices have increased, but people’s wages have not. So families use their money to meet only the most urgent needs. Musharraf Hussein represents the aid group Action on Disability and Development. Hussein knows what it is like to have physical problems. He suffered from polio when he was a child. And the disease left him unable to walk without the aid of crutches. He describes the situation in Bangladesh for people like him:
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“The life of a disabled person is a struggle. They are left on the edge of society.”
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But Musharraf wanted to show that disabled people have as much value as people without physical limitations. And he was one of the people responsible for bringing blind cricket to Bangladesh. He wanted to show everyone what blind people could do, if they had the chance. Musharraf explains:
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“Disabled people also want to give something to society. They also want to make the world enjoyable for all people.”
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Abdul Nayeem Mamoon agrees with Musharraf Hussein’s views. Abdul is twenty–four [24], and a student. He is also completely blind. However, Abdul is fast becoming one of the top players of blind cricket in Bangladesh. For him, the game has opened up a new way of life. He says:
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“It does not matter who wins and who loses. We disabled people have never been able to play sport before. If I receive the right training, I know I can overcome every barrier. Being blind is not a big problem.”
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And there are many barriers for the blind cricket players to deal with. These include physical limits, social rejection and lack of resources. Parts of Bangladesh experience flooding during several months each year. People live or grow food on the remaining dry land. So there are few large cricket fields around the country.
But Bangladesh’s blind cricket players have struggled hard to reach this point. And they will continue to fight to play the game they love.
