Coach’s plea fall on deaf ears

15.03.2017

Nitendra Singh feels it’s high time the disabled cricketer’s got some recognition for their hardwork.

Hyderabad: Cricket for deaf in the country deserves a better deal, said Indian coach Nitendra Singh.

Talking to Telangana Today on the occasion of the 3rd Asia Deaf Cricket Cup which got under way at the Lal Bahadur Stadium in Hyderabad on Tuesday, an unhappy Singh, better known as Munna in cricketing circles, said even as countries like Pakistan and Sri Lanka have recognized their disabled players, the Board of Control for Cricket in India have yet to come in support of their players.

“Look at us. Do we have a proper body? To name a few there a few like the All India Cricket Association of the Deaf. Even small countries like Pakistan and Sri Lanka have recognised their disabled players and it comes under the concerned cricketing body of the country,” said the experienced coach.

The coach further said most of their players, who hail from economically poor background, have to pay their own expenses to play in this tournament. “They just play for the passion of the game. I personally know the hardships the players underwent to find a place in the national squad. Many talented lads could not make it due to financial problems.”

Having a coaching experience of 14 years, Singh is himself a Ranji player. He played for Baroda and later on as a coach nurtured Indian players like Irfan Pathan , Yousuf Pathan and Hardik Pandya.

Singh even guided the Indian deaf cricket team to a World Cup victory in 2005 in Lucknow.

“Look at the lads playing do you see any problem? They are all technically sound. Only thing is you need some patience. They are better than the rest. They are good learners and grasp very quickly as they don’t get distracted. They listen with utmost concentration. Many inspire me with their quick-learning skills which I never saw in any normal cricket player,” said the Indian coach who has developed his own sign language over the years to communicate with the players.

Singh pleaded with BCCI to find some solution for the deaf players. “It’s high time BCCI came up with a solution to this. Many of the players are unemployed. They don’t have a bright future even after putting up with all this hard work,” he concluded on a serious note.

With the Indian cricket team for Blind receiving much recognition after their World Cup T20 triumph last month and with a shimmer of hope that his team would fare well in the on-going Asia Cup the experienced cricket guru hopes for a better future for the cricket for deaf in the country.

The coach is certainly irked by the step-motherly treatment by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).