The MCC World Cricket Committee came together today to discuss the future of cricket as a world sport, emphasising on how getting into the Olympics could be a mighty step towards achieving that global dream.
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The committee that comprises of Ricky Ponting, Kumar Sangakkara and Shakib Al Hasan feels that BCCI needs to be more supportive of the idea of cricket in the Olympics, as that is the only way that Cricket can become a global sport.
Apparently the BCCI is not open to the idea of Cricket making it to the Olympic games, something that is proving to be a huge hindrance in the world cricket bodies striving for that Olympic dream.
“The game’s application to become an Olympic sport is gathering momentum and that the only remaining barrier is India’s reluctance to proceed,” an MCC statement said.
“The committee has long been a supporter of Twenty20 cricket being included in the Olympic Games, believing it the single biggest step the game could take to unlock worldwide government funding and aid its global development,” the statement further said.
The committee wants T20 Cricket to be included in the 2024 Paris Games, but realises that there is very little time to get all the formalities done. If not Paris 2024, then the committee wants to definitely try and get T20 Cricket into Los Angeles 2028.
“For men’s and women’s cricket to thrive in future generations, new countries must be introduced to the sport; playing cricket in the Olympics is the best way to achieve this objective. With plans for the 2024 Paris Games well advanced, the committee urges India to unite with the rest of the world game and lobby the International Olympic Committee for the inclusion of Twenty20 cricket in the Olympic Games, ideally in Paris but if not at Los Angeles in 2028,” the committee said.
MCC also discussed about player wages in poorer or developing nations and how there needs to be a more transparent system in place in order to regulate ICC funds in those nations.
Shakib Al Hasan, the first Bangaldeshi player to sit on the committee, talked about how the financial incentives were greater in T20 leagues around the world than what the Bangladesh cricket board could provide to Test playing players, indicating that it could be difficult for newer(and maybe poorer) countries to adopt Test cricket.
