By Callum Dent
Head Coach Ross Hunter thinks England’s Visually Impaired squad are perfectly placed to put two years of hard work into practice at the Blind Cricket World Cup in South Africa.
Thursday’s opener against two-time defending champions Pakistan, the first of a minimum of six matches for England at the showpiece, is Hunter’s first international match in the role and he cannot wait to get going.
“As a group it is something we have trained for for 18 months to two years,” the former Hampshire wicketkeeper-batsman told ecb.co.uk.
“The moment we found out we were going to a World Cup made everything so real. We are unbelievably excited.
“It is an opportunity for me first time to see them play international cricket which is is unusual for a head coach, but I cannot wait to see them on the pitch.
“All the hard work they have put in and actually applying that in the game will be unreal.
“It is just like Christmas. It is a complete excitement that I have never experienced before because we have got a bunch of players that love what they do.
“They care about each other, care about playing for their country and who wouldn’t want the chance to go win a World Cup?”
Explaining the preparation that goes into building up to compete on the world stage, Hunter added: “What they do in their normal day lives makes their cricket even more exciting because it means so much more to them.
“They don’t have the opportunity to train every day, so when they do come and train with us they work incredibly hard.
“The amount of support they have from home and support from work to throw themselves into cricket and the opportunity to play at a World Cup, the opportunity to win a World Cup is fantastic for people that have normal day jobs and normal work.
“Some of the guys will go to the gym before work, they will go after work as well, and that level of dedication is incredible.”
Hunter agrees with the assessment of experienced skipper Matt Dean, who told ecb.co.uk in October that England have what it takes to go all the way in South Africa.
The England Blind Team have just visited the British Consulate in Cape Town & met @CGChrisTrott the Consul General pic.twitter.com/mSGGpl5B22
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) November 24, 2014
Asked if they can win the World Cup, Hunter - whose side finished third in the last 40-over showpiece - said: “Yes, definitely.
“We have got a real belief we can do it. In the past I don’t know whether the squads have got to this belief. The players really believe they can win this time.”
However, even if England do not win the World Cup, Hunter believes the trip will be vital in helping to raise the profile of disability cricket in the future.
He added: “Even if we don’t win a World Cup this time, for us it’s about a huge legacy.
“We want to win a World Cup. It’s not just about that, it’s making sure we have enough people in the future wanting to play blind cricket that it does become one of the best disabled sports in the UK.
“That is what we want to do. It is not just abut purely winning tournaments. It is important to do that, but these players being role models and getting to experience things like talking to the media gives them great life lessons.
“That is what we want to try and do. If they come to us and leave as better people, then that is important.”