Cricket for the Olympics?

The International Cricket Council are looking for the inclusion of Twenty20 cricket for future Olympic Games events.

International Cricket Council chief executive Malcolm Speed told news reporters in India that “The long-term objective is to have cricket in the Olympics. For cricket to be in the Olympics, Twenty20 will be the ideal format because we can play the tournament in two weeks which is also the duration of the Olympics.”

Speed went onto say “International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognition for cricket is a potentially significant benefit for many of our members as it could allow them to access new streams of funding that, as a non-IOC sport, may not be currently available. We hope to have our application heard soon but we recognize that the idea of cricket returning to the Olympics is some way from reality at this stage.”

Cricket has been ruled out of contention for the 2012 Olympics in London with the 26 sports having already been agree upon by the IOC members.

The last Olympics to carry cricket as a event was the 1900 games in Paris where Great Britain beat France to secure the gold medal.