Photo Credit: Queensland Cricket
Queensland Cricket has kicked off its state inclusion programs for the 2023-24 season, with plans to expand these initiatives in the coming months.
The three programs of Blind & Vision Impaired Cricket, Deaf & Hard of Hearing Cricket, and ID Cricket, collectively underscore Queensland Cricket’s unwavering commitment to fostering a more inclusive cricketing environment.
The Queensland Blind Cricket Association made a noteworthy start to the 2023-24 campaign by engaging in a 3-game friendly series against South Australia. These matches were held at Marchant Park in Chermside and the Valley District Cricket Club. The association is poised to return to its regular Saturday fixtures, which also include a junior program.
Simultaneously, the Queensland Deaf Cricket Association is on a mission to expand its outreach. The association actively recruited players and explored the possibility of introducing a women’s team for the upcoming National Cricket Inclusion Championships. During the weekend, six women participated in a ‘come and try’ session, with support from Queensland Cricket coaching staff and current players from the Queensland men’s deaf cricket team. Additional training sessions are in the pipeline, with the next session scheduled for Sunday, the 29th of October in Brisbane.
Additionally, the Queensland ID Cricket program, catering to cricketers with intellectual disabilities, is set to commence this weekend at the Valley District Cricket Club. Subsequent to this launch, a series of squad training sessions and meet-and-greets will be organised in the weeks that follow. The program will then transition into a more structured trial process following the appointment of a head coach.
Queensland Cricket’s Community Operations Manager, John Butterworth, expressed great enthusiasm about the expanding opportunities within the inclusion program.
He emphasised, “We are fortunate to have remarkable individuals within our Blind and Deaf Cricket Associations who provide robust pathways to our state teams. Furthermore, we are actively exploring partnership opportunities with Special Olympics Queensland and Sporting Wheelies, both of which provide specialised insights on how we can enhance community participation.”
These current programs and initiatives are building toward the annual National Cricket Inclusion Championships, slated to take place in early 2024. Further details regarding the tournament will be released in due course. For more information on both representative and participation-based inclusion programs, individuals are encouraged to contact the relevant persons below:
- Queensland Blind Cricket Association – Darren Kendrick – qldblindcricket@outlook.com.
- Queensland Deaf Cricket Association – qlddeafcricket@gmail.com.
- Women’s Deaf Cricket Program – Lisa Sidin – lisasidin@ymail.com.
- Queensland ID Program – Steve Beckinsale – scb_34@hotmail.com.
General inquiries concerning Queensland Cricket’s inclusion programs can be directed to Mary Ross at Mary.Ross@qldcricket.com.au.
