MCC urges BCCI to support cricket’s inclusion in Olympics
MCC World Cricket committee has strongly urged India's cricket board to support the initiative of including cricket in the Olympics. Players like Ricky Ponting, Kumar Sangakkara, and Shakib Al Hasan, who are a part of the committee, have also suggested that BCCI work in the favour of it.
The MCC World Cricket committee meeting was held in Sydney earlier this week, where the introduction of T20 cricket in the future Olympics was one of the main subjects of discussions. Former international players, who are a part of the committee, eagerly wanted to see the shortest version of the game at the Olympic stage.
The MCC committee wants cricket to be featured in the 2024 Paris edition of the Summer Games and if it did not happen, at least for the 2028 Olympics, which is to be held in Los Angeles. But their biggest concern is with BCCI's consent to it and they appealed to the richest cricket board to not act as a barrier.
“It's one of those things that has frustrated me,” committee chairman and former England batsman Mike Gatting said as quoted by TOI.
“We would like to urge the BCCI to have a look at it again and support the main body of boards that would like to get into the Olympics as soon as possible. It seems strange that everyone else seems happy to get in there because it's just going to be so good for the game.”
The International Cricket Council has previously acknowledged that the majority of member nations are in the support of the idea, including chief executive David Richardson.
Ponting, the former Australia skipper, was part of the 14-person independent committee alongside former players like Gatting, Sangakkara, Sourav Ganguly and Rod Marsh. The World Cup-winning captain has stated that the players were also eager to see it and commitment would be an issue.
“We're very conscious of not lessening the product we're putting out,” Ponting, who previously played at the Commonwealth Games in Malaysia in 1998, said.
“If cricket makes it into the Olympics, it has to be the best players and showcasing the sport for what it is. The players would want it because of how beneficial they would see that being for the game.”
During the meeting, the committee also discussed what step they can take in the favour of the longest format of the game against entertaining T20 leagues, as players opt them over playing for their respective countries.
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