Blind Cricket South Africa is empowering visually impaired athletes, with Head Coach Stephen Visser guiding players and developing talent.
South Africa (28 September 2025) – Few people know that South Africa has a national blind cricket team. And even fewer have seen just how thrilling the game can be. Cricket is often thought of as a sport of sharp eyes and steady hands, but in blind cricket, it is sound and teamwork that carry the game.
Using a ball filled with bearings so that players can hear it, visually impaired athletes compete in matches that are every bit as intense as their mainstream counterparts. Players are classified into three groups: B1 for those who are fully blind, B2 and B3 for the partially sighted. Each match is built on communication and trust. This is the world that captured the Proteas’ head coach, Stephen Visser’s heart and shaped his journey into coaching.
“When people watch it for the first time, they can’t believe how fast and competitive it is. They think it’s going to be slow, but the scores we get can shock even seasoned cricket fans.”
Blind cricket in South Africa has grown into a vibrant community, and the sport is challenging old perceptions of disability and proving that talent and determination are not limited by sight.
The real victory is not in runs scored, but in the transformation the sport brings. Blind cricket also carries a powerful message that inclusion works when barriers are removed.
“We have a very serious problem here in South Africa that people in work area and even in sports, if they are having any disability, we always think they are not capable of doing things. And that is very serious, because then we get to a society of people who are being excluded every now and then.”
The upcoming T20 National Tournament, set for Stellenbosch in October, will showcase 10 provincial teams. This is where coach Stephen will be scouting his next Proteas squad to represent South Africa in the World Cup.
Looking ahead, coach Stephen hopes for the sport to be more mainstream.
Related Story
“Our dream is to see blind cricket professionalised, so that athletes can dedicate themselves fully to the game they love. More than that, we want South Africans to see them not as blind cricketers, but as cricketers who play with heart.”
by 