ICC to push for inclusion of cricket at 2028 Los Angeles Games

ICC to push for inclusion of cricket at 2028 Los Angeles Games

ICC to push inclusion of cricket at 2028 Los Angeles Games

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed that it will be pushing for the inclusion of cricket at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. ICC The global body shared that it has put together a working body to put forward its bid in front of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Cricket has featured only once in the Olympic Games which was back in 1900 which saw only two teams participate.

The ICC Olympic Working Group will be chaired by England and Wales Cricket Board Chair Ian Watmore. He will be joined by ICC Independent Director Indra Nooyi, Chair of Zimbabwe Cricket Tavengwa Mukuhlani, ICC Associate Member Director and Vice President of the Asian Cricket Council Mahinda Vallipuram and Chair of USA Cricket Parag Marathe.

“Firstly on behalf of everyone at the ICC, I would like to congratulate the IOC, Tokyo 2020, and the people of Japan for staging such an incredible Games in such difficult circumstances. It truly was fantastic to watch and captured the imagination of the world and we would love for cricket to be a part of future Games,” ICC Chair Greg Barclay said in a statement.

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“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 percent of them want to see cricket at the Olympics.“

“Thirty-million cricket fans live in the USA,” said ICC as they confirm intent to push cricket’s Olympic return

In a statement, the global body shares that the USA is home to around 30 million cricket fans which make the Los Angeles Games the perfect Olympics for cricket’s return. The sport would end its 128-year wait if ICC’s bid is accepted by the IOC. ICC chair Barclay believes that cricket “would be a great addition to the Olympic Games “.

“Clearly cricket has a strong and passionate fanbase, particularly in South Asia where 92% of our fans come from whilst there are also 30 million cricket fans in the USA. The opportunity for those fans to see their heroes competing for an Olympic medal is tantalising.”

“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. But we feel now is the time to put our best foot forward and show what a great partnership cricket and the Olympics are,” Barclay signed off.

Cricket will be making an appearance in the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. ICC believes that the 2022 CWG will be a perfect showcase of what the sport brings to the table on the big stage. It will truly be fascinating to watch the superstars of the game fight it out for the glory of an Olympic Games.

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