Cricket on track to make a return to Commonwealth Games

The Commonwealth Games, the second biggest multi-sport event after the Olympics, is planning to bring back cricket’s newest format in the year 2022. The Commonwealth Games Federation chiefs reportedly have the backing of 71 national and territorial associations to bring back the sport.

"We've had some fantastic conversations with the ICC. It's very much exploratory," CGF chief executive David Grevemberg told AFP at the Commonwealth summit in Malta.

"(It's) one of the priorities of the movement; all 71 nations and territories unanimously agreed that it would be great to have cricket as part of the sports programme, It's not out of the question and, working with the ICC, we could come up with a really relevant and exciting format," he added.

In the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, the fifty-over version of the game was played with South Africa beating Australia to win the Gold. A total of 16 countries participated with the Caribbean countries participating separately rather than as the West Indies team. An Indian team led by Ajay Jadeja were knocked out in the group stages after finishing third in a group which included Australia, Antigua and Barbuda and Canada.