Bidding for cricket at the Olympic Games
London: The MCC world cricket committee (MCCWCC) has asked the powerful Indian board to back the bid for the sport’s Olympics inclusion, stating that it would greatly benefit the game.
Cricket was last played at the Olympics in the 1900 Paris Games and the governing International Cricket Council (ICC) has said most of its members backed the inclusion of the 20-overs format in Olympic Games.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is open to cricket’s future inclusion provided all top teams compete but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the game’s richest and most influential board, has been rather reluctant as far as Olympic appearance is concerned.
After the MCC Committee meetings this week, the panel of former players requested the BCCI to reconsider its stance.
“It’s one of those things that has frustrated me,” committee chairman Mike Gatting told a news conference here Wednesday. “We would like to urge the BCCI to have a look at it (Olympic participation again) again and support the main body of boards that would like to get into the Olympics…
“It seems strange that everyone else seems happy to get in there because it’s just going to be so good for the game. Free-to-air TV all over the world, it will be a huge bonus for the game. It’s only once every four years. It’s not going to be a scheduling matter. It just seems they (BCCI) seem reticent to try and get involved,” added Gatting.
The Indian board has not been keen on cricket’s Olympic inclusion partly because of apprehensions that BCCI might lose its autonomy and be answerable to the country’s Olympic committee.
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who is part of the 14-person independent committee along with Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara, Indian Sourav Ganguly and Rod Marsh of Australia, said the sport must be represented by its best players at the Olympics.
“We’re very conscious of not lessening the product we’re putting out,” Ponting asserted. “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 going forward,” added the twice World Cup winning captain.
Key facts
Cricket was last played at the 1900 Paris Games
Most boards are interested in Olympic participation save India
Former players have asked the BCCI to get into the Olympic cause
BCCI is apprehensive that it may lose its autonomy to the IOA if the team play in Olympics
