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Sri Lanka Cricket has sponsored the Sri Lanka Blind Cricket team which will participate in the 5th edition of the 40-over Blind Cricket World Cup, scheduled to take place from 9-22 January in the UAE and Lahore.

The Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) sponsorship package of Rs. 1.1 million covers cricket equipment and air travel of the 17-member squad and three officials who will take wing to Dubai on 6 January.

The SLC also provided the 40-over Blind Cricket World Cup team with the side wickets of the NCC, centre wickets of the Surrey Maggona and a coach to conduct practices targeting the World Cup.

In addition to this sponsorship, the SLC also sponsored the team’s annual subscription of £ 200 (approximately Rs. 40,000) payable to the World Blind Cricket Council for 2017 and airfare for two members to attend the AGM in Bangladesh at a total cost of Rs. 219,000 via its charity arm Cricket Aid.

Sri Lanka Cricket’s Vice President K. Mathivanan, who is heading international cricket and overlooking Cricket Aid under the guidance of President Thilanga Sumathipala, handed over the sponsorship to the Team Manager of Sri Lanka Blind Cricket, H.G. Chaminda Pushpakumara Karunaratne, at the SLC headquarters recently. SLC Head of Operations of Domestic Cricket Chinthaka Edirimanne was also present at the occasion.

The Sri Lanka Blind Cricket team, coming under the auspices of the Sri Lanka Cricket Association for the Visually Handicapped, will be led by Chandana Deshapriya. India has won the title since 2012. Sri Lanka made it into the semifinals in 2014.  

The participating countries on a round robin basis comprise Sri Lanka, reigning champions India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Australia.