Quote:More players are now taking up blind cricket than ever before but why is the sport becoming increasingly popular?

A bowler running in at full steam, a batsman looking for gaps in the field and a player standing at short leg. This is a T20 cricket match taking place in north London but with a slight twist.

The ball being used is the size of a small football, the wickets are bigger than usual and fielders are allowed to take a catch off a single bounce.

Hassan Khan was left blind at the age of three after a genetic illness caused his eyesight to deteriorate slowly.

The 27-year-old became the first Asian player to represent the England visually-impaired cricket team and is part of the squad which will be competing at the Blind Cricket World Cup in South Africa next month.

"The game's given me so much beyond just the sport - it's given me independence," he said. "I was so scared of doing everyday things like going on the Tube by myself but now I travel on my own.

"I'm more confident and it's really changed my life."