Steffan Nero

Some Lesser Known Facts About Steffan Nero

• Steffan Nero is an Australian visually impaired cricketer who is known for making a world record of the highest individual score in blind cricket with 309 runs against New Zealand on 14 June 2022.

  

• When he was born, he was diagnosed with congenital nystagmus. In an interview, he said that when he was young, he was totally blind. He further said,
  

  When I was young, I was actually very blind. I couldn’t see a metre in front of me, but I hit my head and I actually got better sight.”

• When he was ten years old, he used to play cricket with able-bodied children, but later, he started playing blind cricket after his vision deteriorated. He faced involuntary eye movement.

• At the age of twelve, he gained an interest in goalball.

  

• In an interview, he said that he used to play cricket with his father as a child, but he could not see the bouncer balls he bowled at him.

• He began his career by playing football, but later, he quit the game and opted to play blind cricket and goalball.

  

• He got interested in blind cricket because of Western Australia cricket captain Bradley Brider, who later became his close friend.

  

• He was selected for the Australian A cricket team in 2016 when he was seventeen years old.

• In 2016, during the Australian National Goalball Championship in Sydney, he became the best player in the tournament and received the highest goal scorer award.

• In 2017, he was selected in the Australian blind cricket team for the Blind T20 World Cup, becoming the youngest member of the team.

• In the same year, he represented Western Australia at National Cricket Inclusion Championships, where he scored his first century for the Western Australia club.

  

• Meanwhile, he was selected for the Australia men’s national goalball team for the IBSA Asia/Pacific Goalball Regional Championships.

• In 2017, he was awarded the Youth Sports scholarship for his excellence in cricket and goal ball.

  

• In 2019, he was selected for the Australian visually impaired futsal team to play five matches in England.

• In May 2022, he was selected in the Australian squad for International Cricket Inclusion Series against the New Zealand national blind cricket team.

• In an interview, he said that for him sports were the most important thing in life. He said,
  

  Without sport, I would not be the person I am today. I have met so many incredible people that have all their own lessons and experiences to share with me. Through sport, I have found people whom I can count on for support and guidance.”