By Marios Papaloizou

Welling brothers Matt and Gavin Dean are hoping they can bring home the top prize as the England visually impaired cricketers gear up for November’s blind world cup.

Matt Dean will lead a 17-strong squad to South Africa, with England hoping to get off to a fast start against Sri Lanka on November 27 as they bid to become world champions for the very first time.

The 31-year-old, who has retinitis pigmentosa, and his older brother Gavin started playing cricket in 2003 and they are hoping to upset the odds and bring home the title.

Matt says playing visually impaired cricket was a way back into sport after his eyesight had begun to deteriorate and still has to pinch himself when he thinks about playing for his country, particularly at the forthcoming blind world cup

“We’re going out there to win the world cup,” Matt said.

“Obviously you’ve got India and Pakistan which are strong Blind Cricket teams.

“They play really hard, challenging cricket but I feel we have got the tools now to deal with that and hopefully we can go all the way, that’s the plan anyway.

“I was basically at a loose end when my eyesight began to deteriorate and I stopped playing sports.

“Playing competitive sport is vitally important because it gives you the understanding of what it’s like to win and lose.

“I’d never been in a situation where I was winning or losing for my country so that was new and it takes a bid of adjusting to get used to, but I can’t believe I am off to a world cup even now.”

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Older brother Gavin (above) suffers from a form of deaf blindness and says representing England is nothing short of a dream.

And he echoes his brother’s feeling that the side can make a real impact when they head to South Africa.

He said: “You can't beat that feeling, it really doesn’t matter what level it is at, I’d be the first person to hold my hand up and say I feel the same way as Kevin Pietersen.

“It means so much to play for England. It doesn’t matter what level you are playing at.

“To be walking around in the England kit with the three lions on your shirt and knowing that basically you are going out to a world cup is incredible.

“I’ve been fairly lucky because I went to a visually impaired school so in terms of playing sport I’ve always been involved in it.

“I think we can definitely get to the semi finals but it would be fantastic to go one further.

“There’s some very good teams who are very hard to beat but anything can happen on the day.”

ECB is an inclusive organisation providing support and a pathway for disability cricket from grassroots to elite.

Follow the England visually impaired squad in South Africa at ecb.co.uk