After a meeting of member boards of the International Cricket Council (ICC) to discuss the Future Tour Programme (FTP) from 2023 onwards, the talks for Cricket’s inclusion in the Olympics has taken a step forward.
Significantly, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have showed renewed interest in order to make it happen, which could only be possible through a T10 format.
Historically, both the BCCI and ECB have had their reservations towards cricket inclusion in the Olympics but ECB chief Tom Harrison, according to a report in ESPNCricinfo, has raised the subject in last week’s meeting which has been well received by every member board.
The Indian cricket board has been contentious of cricket’s involvement in the showpiece event due to its reluctance to cede any power to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) but in a recent apex council meeting, the world’s most powerful board gave unconditional support to cricket’s inclusion in the Olympics.
The BCCI will also be sending its Women’s team to Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022.
While the format still hasn’t been finalized, the chief executive meeting is set to meet again next week to explore possible options.
According to Cricinfo, one member board in the meeting has said that it’s inevitable that the ECB would push for the inclusion of the ‘Hundred’.
Notably, for any sport competing in the Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) uses a format that is globally renowned. There is no ICC recognized event for T10, the game’s governing body does sanction the staging of Abu Dhabi T10.
“We want to help grow the game globally and believe cricket’s inclusion within the Olympic Games would provide a wonderful opportunity to showcase our sport domestically and take it to new audiences around the world. The ECB will enthusiastically support efforts to secure the outcome,” an ECB spokesperson was quoted as saying by Cricinfo.