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[jonwilson]

First post on the forum, hello to all.

Wondering if there are any other members of the forum that 'suffer' from Amblyopia or other eye problems and how they manage playing the game we all love. 

For those that do not know what Amblyopia is, it can best be described as reduced vision in one eye without any structural abnormality for that reduction in vision - the other eye is normal.  More commonly known as 'lazy eye', amblyopia affects the person's ability to accurately perform eye-hand coordinated activities because vision on the side of the amblyopic eye would be impaired and the person would not be able to see or see as well a fast moving object on that side, ie. cricket ball coming towards you at 70 odd mph.  Furthermore, depth perception can be dramatically impaired.

For myself, the vision in my left eye is reduced.  Its something I've lived with for 42 years and dint know what it is like to be any different.  In terms of my cricket, with the bat I am averaging 27.5 which I am perfectly happy with.   Problem is, I dont tend to play the ball very well off my legs and hate fullish deliveries on a leg stump line - getting bowled accounts for around 30% of dismissals.   I have over the years taken various guards, from leg to middle, opened my stance up, closed it back again.  Simplest thing I find to help my batting is simply to keep my head still, watch the ball and enjoy the game because at the end of the day, its a game and I love playing it.     

Catching is a different story completely...

[Buzz]

Welcome to the forum.
Always good to get a new and unusual question. I haven't come across too many people with your afliction personally.
Can I ask, as your "lazy eye" is your left eye, do you therefore bat right handed and do you generally find the shorter ball easier to handle than a fuller ball?

"Simplest thing I find to help my batting is simply to keep my head still, watch the ball and enjoy the game because at the end of the day, its a game and I love playing it." is the best advice anyone can ever have in cricket. I do have some thoughts that might help, but am just trying to work out how best to describe it!

[peplow]

I play with a lad with one eye, has a glass eye in, who is a quality basmen and has made a few hundreds in our first team (which isnt too bad'er standard) and is a top fielder, he has had it since he was 10 so has grown used to it! Its mad i dunno how he does it. But i admire all people who play with a disability (sorry thats the most pc word i could think of) its what is great about cricket!

[jonwilson]

Thanks for the welcome Buzz. 

Strange actually, naturally left handed, write left handed though having said that, I play bass right handed, throw a dart with my left hand, throw a javelin with my right hand (when i threw a javelin that is)  and bat right handed .  First time I picked a cricket bat up, think i was about 4 or 5, batting right handed seemed to be the natural thing to do.

In terms of length, I find a shorter pitched ball on a leg stump line easier to play as opposed to a fuller length.  Anything on the off is no problem irrespective of length.  Any help would be appreciated! 

[peplow]

Do you take a leg stump guard?

Thats a strange combination of left and right handed activities, i'm a lefty but dont do anything (except yo-yo!) with my right hand!!!

Greta to have you on forum btw forgot to say

cheers

[jonwilson]

Cheers Peplow 

In the past I have taken a leg stump guard and would seem to be the sensible thing to do and is something that i have been considering trying again.  Something for the Winter nets perhaps.  Problem is, I am used to my middle stump guard, its what I am comfortable with.  Last time i tried leg stump guard was out for a golden snicking off to first slip  .

[Buzz]

Interesting about the left handed/right handed thing, I am similar, I write left handed, bat/bowl and throw right handed.  When I say throw, in my case it is more of a lob than a rifle over the top of the stumps depressingly, but that is another issue(!)

Actually I believe what way you bat is usually decided by what is your leading or stronger eye, this is because to be a bat you need your eyes level and as a result by batting right handed, you will find it easier to keep your head up. I have suggested to players to change which way they bat as a result in the past (with some success - although apparently it is pretty awkward!!) In your case I consider what you do to be totally natural and that right handed batting should actually be called left handed batting and vice versa.

Have you tried batting in in the nets with a stump and someone initially underarming (then over arming, then moving to a cricket ball) a tennis ball at your legs as you try to hit the ball through mid on, with your head leading your feet into position? I think from what you say practicing a shot through mid on/midwicket will work. Actually this is one of the harder shots to play for anyone, regardless of eyesight issues.

Other than a practice like this, I am not really sure what else to suggest - given your comments about offside play and shorter pitch balls (and peplow's commentary above) I don't think this is necessarily an eyesight issue, more a technique one.

somewhere else there is commentary on what guard to take, but i wouldn't move from your current middlestump gurad, given what your just said. see http://custombats.co.uk/cbforum/index.php?topic=5322.0 on taking guard

[Howzat]

I remember reading that when Rafa Nadal started Tennis his coach forced him to play left handed even though he was right handed. This was to make sure he had a really good backhand or something.   Wonder if this would work in cricket? Would make sure the player had a really strong top hand...

[mdl_1979]

I too have a lazy eye (my right eye), and have always had it.  I bat left handed, and to be honest I don't know that it affects my cricket too much.  I score well on the legside, and have a decent pair of hands.  I don't play at an enormously high level, but there are still plenty of bowlers that get it down at 70-75mph.  I'm sure at higher speeds I would struggle much more.

[Alvaro]

Thats a strange combination of left and right handed activities, i'm a lefty but dont do anything (except yo-yo!) with my right hand!!!

just as an aside - i throw over arm right handed and under arm left handed... but I am generally ambidextrous.

[jonwilson]

Would agree Buzz in terms of this being a technique issue as opposed to eyesight.  Useful suggestion in terms of some work for this winter.  In the past I have worked in terms of not falling over the ball - perhaps something I need to revist.

[uknsaunders]

I have a lovely combination of dyspraxia combined with 2 Stigmatism's. One eye scans up and down, the other left to right plus one eye is round the other oval (iris or something, I assume they are not talking about the actual eye).

This means I have problems following flighted deliveries when batting or catching ie. flat and quick ok, loopy a real struggle. Lost count of the number of times I've missed a full toss pulling and been bowled. Hand/eye co-ordination is crapped out due to the dyspraxia, so I have to compensate by playing very straight and taking a long time to play myself in. Certain shots like off driving are basically no go areas for 10 overs :-(, though I cut pretty well instead.

Best advice is to know your limits and work on a method to minimise your weakness  - try anything you can in the nets, no matter how novel. Might be worth doing a Peter Willey and open your stance nearly to 90 degrees, so you are facing midwicket. This should bring your good eye into play.

[jonwilson]

The playing yourself in over a few overs and the cut shot rings true with me...  As for the open stance, used to be very open in my stance when I was playing as a junior - bat used to come down from second slip to midwicket mind you.  True that in the past few years I have played in terms of recognising my limitations and playing to my strengths. 

Cheers