CALLUM Harper is hoping to follow in the footsteps of George Bailey and James Faulkner as Launceston Church Grammar students who have gone on to represent Australia in cricket.
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But the visually impaired cricket-mad 13-year-old from Mowbray needs some financial help to achieve that dream.
The grade 7 student recently became the first Tasmanian to be chosen in any visually impaired Australian squad after he was included in the Australia A development squad that will travel to New Zealand in January.
He is also the youngest player to ever be selected in an Australian representative team.
Callum started losing his sight when he was 3½ due to retinitis pigmentosa, and has been left with light perception only.
Cricket is a sport that he was introduced to by a resources teacher for visually impaired students at St Finn Barr's school three years.
With no cricket competitions on offer for the visually impaired in this state, Callum and his father, Andrew, are forced to travel to Kooyong in Victoria each weekend from October to March so Callum can play for the Institute Blind Cricket Club.
The batting all-rounder's talents were identified straight away, with the club having to change its rules so someone so young could play for it.
Australia A will play a mixture of Twenty20 and 50-over matches against the senior New Zealand line-up.
The squad is made up of players that the Blind Cricket Australia selection panel believes will represent their country in the senior team in the next five years or so.
While Callum receives sponsorship from the Lord's Taverners and the Blind Sporting Council for his interstate trips, the New Zealand trip will stretch things further for the family.
The Harpers' are hoping to raise between $4000 and $5000 to fund Callum's trip.
"Since playing cricket he has become more social and his confidence has really lifted.
"We are extremely proud and he's done a really good job, but Callum now has to take the opportunity that has presented to him," Callum's dad, Andrew, said
Mum Amanda added: "There's been so much negative for Callum [in his life], but he does the best in everything he does, so to get that selection, it [cricket] is just huge for him."
Raffle tickets to support Callum can be bought from Sportfirst at Kings Meadows or by contacting Tania Phillips on 0438 394 700.