The Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC) says it’s getting ready a bid for the sport’s inclusion to the 2028 Olympic Video games in Los Angeles.
Cricket was final featured within the Olympics in 1900 in Paris when solely two groups competed on the occasion – the Nice Britain and hosts France.
“A Working Group has also been formed to lead the bid,” based on ICC assertion.
The ICC Olympic Working Group shall be chaired by England and Wales Cricket Board Chair Ian Watmore. He shall be joined by ICC Impartial Director Indra Nooyi, Chair of Zimbabwe Cricket Tavengwa Mukuhlani, ICC affiliate member director and Vice President of the Asian Cricket Council Mahinda Vallipuram and Chair of USA Cricket, Parag Marathe.
Pakistan doesn’t have any illustration within the ICC Working Group.
Cricket will function within the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Video games subsequent yr, which, based on ICC, shapes as an ideal showcase for what the game can deliver to the Olympics.
“Our sport is united behind this bid, and we see the Olympics as a part of cricket’s long-term future. We have more than a billion fans globally and almost 90 per cent of them want to see cricket at the Olympics,” ICC Chair Greg Barclay stated in an announcement.
Barclay stated the addition of cricket to the Olympic Video games could be helpful to each the game and the Video games themselves.
As many as 30 million cricket followers reside within the USA, making LA 2028 the best Video games for cricket to make its return to Olympic competitors, the assertion says.
Barclay added: “Clearly cricket has a strong and passionate fanbase, particularly in South Asia where 92pc of our fans come from whilst there are also 30m cricket fans in the USA. The opportunity for those fans to see their heroes competing for an Olympic medal is tantalising.”
The ICC consultant stated “We believe cricket would be a great addition to the Olympic Games, but we know it won’t be easy to secure our inclusion as there are so many other great sports out there wanting to do the same.”
Chair of USA Cricket Parag Marathe stated the time was now for cricket to make its long-awaited return to the Olympics.
“USA Cricket is thrilled to have the ability to assist cricket’s bid for inclusion within the Olympics, the timing of which aligns completely with our persevering with plans to develop the game within the USA,” he stated.
“With so many passionate cricket followers and gamers already within the USA, and an enormous world viewers and following for the game world wide, we consider that cricket’s inclusion will add nice worth to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Video games and assist us to attain our personal imaginative and prescient for establishing cricket as a mainstream sport on this nation,” he added.
