ENGLAND’S Visually Impaired Cricket coach Ross Hunter believes Redditch’s Luke Sugg’s leadership skills could prove vital as the team get set for this month’s Blind World Cup.

The 25-year-old is England’s vice captain and will help skipper Matt Dean to lead the 17-man squad in South Africa.

The Three Lions are looking to claim their first ever World Cup title and Hunter is confident that in Warwickshire Bears’ Sugg and Dean they have two of the world’s best working in tandem.

And Hunter believes that the ultra competitive Sugg is the type of player that can drag England to victory against the world’s best teams, starting with their first game against Sri Lanka on November 27.

“Luke is our 40-over vice captain and so is a player that is really important for us in terms of the leadership of the side,” Hunter said.

“His partnership with captain Matt Dean is one that works really well and they complement each other perfectly.

“Matt is a real thinker and very knowledgeable about the game but Luke is incredibly passionate and brings that to the field every time he plays.

“That dynamic works so well because he is responsible for driving a completely different part of the leadership and so those two working together is great.

“I think that in Luke we have a guy who is always willing to go the extra mile and one that wants to win at everything he does.

“Those guys are crucial in tournament situations and they are the ones everyone looks to when your backs are against the wall.”

And Hunter believes that Sugg, who plays his domestic cricket for Warwickshire Bears, not only brings leadership to the side but is one of the game’s true innovators which could prove vital in England’s quest to be the best team in the world.

“I think that the great thing about VI cricket is that it is a young sport and one that is still growing all the time,” he added. “And Luke is very much an active part of that growth and is someone who is always looking to innovate and experiment with new ways of doing things.

“He is someone that will always look to push the boundaries of the game and that is crucial.

“And it doesn’t matter if it’s training or a match, he always shows that passion and determination.

“He’s an ultra competitive player and truly is one of the world’s best visually impaired cricketers.”

PLEASE LEAVE IN FINAL PAR – 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 www.ecb.co.uk