MCC to discuss possible inclusion of cricket in 2024 Olympics in Sydney meeting

What is the story?

Cricket's potential addition to either of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and 2028 Olympic games will be discussed in a meeting organized by the Marylebone Cricket Club on Tuesday in Sydney.

In case you didn't know

People related to cricket have been trying to figure out a format that suits the Olympics and hence T10 was proposed as it finishes within 90 minutes like other sports such as football and hockey rather than the T20 format which usually takes a minimum of three hours to complete.

Recently a T-10 league was organized in Sharjah for the trial of a 10-over tournament to see if there are any problems with the format.

The heart of the matter

The MCC's World Cricket Committee is chaired by Mike Gatting and consists of current players, former players and umpires from all the cricket-playing nations.

Cricket last featured in the summer Olympics in Paris in 1900 and it could come full circle with cricket again being proposed ahead of the 2024 Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee is looking to increase the games' popularity in the Indian subcontinent and sees cricket as a very big part of their plan in doing so.

What next?

The chief executive of International Cricket Committee, Dave Richardson says that the return of cricket to the Olympic programme is one of the four "strategic pillars" for the organisation.

The meeting may also discuss the 'four-year World Test Championships' and new rules about 'sledging'.

Author's take

Cricket could be a welcome addition to the Olympics especially in the T10 format as it can help the game reach different parts of the world through the games and surely, the youth would be attracted to the game if its played in the shorter format.