England's cricketers have revealed that they had used Goalball, which is a sport devised for the visually impaired, during practice sessions as one of the secret weapons in their successful battle against Australia in the Ashes.
According to the Mirror, English cricketers have used Goalball equipment like black-out goggles, which extinguish every scrap of light, and have laid themselves down in front a ball hurled at 60 mph while wearing those goggles, during training and warm-ups to promote trust and togetherness.
Confirming the fact, England bowler Stuart Broad said that they used the equipment in one of their warm ups last year to bring some diversity to their training, adding that they had also used the equipment as a way to test their awareness and trust in their teammates.
According to Broad, when a player loses one of his senses, especially his vision, then he relies much on his teammates, adding that the biggest thing that they got out of Goalball was the communication with their teammates, which is essential in order to function and play in every form.
Broad further said that although they had enjoyed using Goalball, the sport had scared them a bit as it showed how hard can it get for a person if he loses his sight.
Meanwhile, teenaged Great Britain Goalball star Adam Knott said that if the England team can work together without one of their key senses, then they will be unstoppable in the Ashes as playing Goalball is about putting one's skill into a team effort as a player has to switch to his other senses without the benefit of sight.
According to the report, the sport, originally devised as a rehabilitation for injured soldiers returning from World War 2, was one of the hits of London 2012 Games.
The sport is played by teams of three who hurl a 1.25 kgs ball, with a bell in it, at high speed towards the opponents' goal, with the report adding that it is a game of power and strategy with shots angled deliberately to pull defenders out of position and create gaps.
