By Emma Cooling
England’s newly formed mixed disability squad is ready to face the world’s best when it takes on India this month, says player Brendon Parr.
The Devon cricketer visited Budleigh Salterton CC (BSCC) this week to check out the warm-up ground that he and England teammates will use when India Men come to England this month for the first international mixed disability T20 series.
Both nations will use BSCC, recently hailed as "amazing" by ECB CEO Richard Gould, for their pre-competition training and warm-up matches.
Disability cricket at international level has traditionally been played in separate impairment disciplines, but this series will trial the mixed-disability model at the highest level with players from the Learning Disability, Physical Disability and Deaf squads forming each team's XI.
Brendon, who captains Cullompton CC's 1st XI, said: "This format is new for all of us, we’ve been selected from three separate squads and we've all had to learn and adjust our game to take into account different impairments. The new format is a trial, and this will be our first major tournament. We have really gelled. It’s been about finding a way, and we have definitely done that."
The ECB has been "incredibly supportive" and is doing "great work" in advancing opportunities in disability cricket, says Brendon, who was a keen cricketer from age 9 to 16 but was unable to play for seven years when a serious road accident left him in a wheelchair with significant injuries.
"It was a long recovery, but gradually I got back involved, starting at a lower level and playing at a higher division as my body healed and I got stronger."
Severe limitations on movement in his left knee prompted coach Andrew Buzza to suggest Brendon trialled for disability cricket, which later led to him attending a Disability Premier League training camp at Edgbaston in 2022. In 2024, the physical disability squad batter was named the Lord's Taverners Disability Cricketer of the Year.
Devon's Dan Bowser, 37, who currently plays league cricket for North Devon CC in the Premier Division, also features in the England line-up, competing as a learning-disability player. Dan was also named Lord's Taverners Disability Cricketer of the Year in 2020.
"Everyone is very accepting of one another as we learn what life looks like for each player with their various impairments," says Dan. "As a team we’ve had a bit of coaching in sign language so that we can communicate better with the players with hearing impairments. We understand how we all work and how we mask our disabilities in some way."
The Holt, the new home for Budleigh Salterton CC, will host the India team from Monday, 16 June to Friday, 20 June, and both England Lions and the England Senior squad will visit for warm-up matches and training. The series will kick off on Saturday, 21 June, when India plays the England Men's Mixed Disability team at Taunton, and the following week the teams will compete at Lord's as part of the new seven-match IT20 series.
BSCC will be open to the public all week as usual whilst the squads train and spectators are particularly invited to come along on Wednesday, 18 June to enjoy two England vs India T20 Matches, one at 10:30am and the other at 2:30pm.
In January, Brendon played in the England Physical Disability squad which beat India by four runs to reach the final of the Physical Disability Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka, only to lose to Team India in the final.
He said: "They are a tough team to beat, but we are in good form. Our squad is very balanced and obviously has the best batters and bowlers picked from all three impairments."
The home advantage is particularly felt by Brendon, who is looking forward to warming up so close to home at BSCC. He said: "Everyone is very excited. To be able to come to Budleigh before the series, with its two pitches and great facilities, new nets and lovely set-up, is a real bonus!"
