Queensland Cricket is excited to announce the upcoming 2024-25 season of its Inclusion Representative program, continuing to build off the success of last year. The program, which features Blind & Low Vision Cricket, Deaf & Hard of Hearing Cricket, and Cricket for players with an intellectual disability, will officially launch in October with a series of meet and greet sessions, to team trials and final selections.
This year, Queensland Cricket will field Men’s & Women’s teams in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing categories, alongside mixed teams for Blind & Low Vision Cricket and Intellectual Disability Cricket and are seeking additional expressions of interest from eligible participants. In an exciting development, Blind Cricket Australia is collaborating with Queensland Cricket to launch a women's-only blind cricket division, further strengthening opportunities for female athletes in the sport.
There are common misconceptions on the eligibility for the inclusion representative program, with an overview of each version of cricket as followed.
Blind & Low Vision Cricket:
- B1: Athletes with no light perception in either eye or those with light perception but unable to recognise the shape of a hand.
- B2: Athletes who can recognise the shape of a hand but have a Visual Acuity of 2/60 or less, and/or a Visual Field of 5 degrees or less.
- B3: Athletes with a Visual Acuity of 6/60 or less and/or a Visual Field of up to 20 degrees.
Deaf & Hard of Hearing Cricket:
- Players must have a hearing loss of at least 55dB pure tone average (PTA) in their better ear, in line with the ISO 1969 Standard.
Cricket for athletes with an Intellectual Disability:
- Eligibility follows Sport Inclusion Australia’s guidelines, which can be accessed here.
Trials for the Deaf and Intellectual Disability programs are scheduled to commence in mid-October, with teams being finalised throughout November. These trials offer a unique opportunity for athletes to showcase their skills and represent Queensland on the national stage.
The much-anticipated National Cricket Inclusion Championships (NCIC) will once again be hosted at Marchant Park in Brisbane’s north, running from the 19th to the 24th of January 2025. Teams from across the country will gather to compete in a week-long celebration of inclusive cricket, continuing to build on Queensland’s strong history of success at this prestigious event.
Queensland Cricket is actively working with the Queensland Blind Cricket Association, Queensland Deaf Cricket Association, and other partners to expand pathways for athletes across the state. This includes a focus on talent identification, community outreach, and participation development, ensuring that athletes of all abilities have access to opportunities. Athletes who are eligible that are based outside of Southeast QLD are also encouraged to express their interest, off the back of an impressive debut of Townsville Cricketer, Kye Stanley, in the programs Deaf squad last season.
For more information on representative and participation-based inclusion programs, please contact:
- Queensland Blind Cricket Association: Nicole Rowling at qldblindcricket@outlook.com
- Queensland Deaf Cricket Association: Justin Bergin at justinbergin@hotmail.com
- Women's Deaf Cricket Program: Lisa Sidin at lisasidin@ymail.com
- Queensland ID Program: Steve Beckinsale at scb_34@hotmail.com
For general inquiries, contact QLD Cricket’s Head of Operations, Growth & Engagement, John Butterworth at John.Butterworth@qldcricket.com.au.