Could Cricket Become an Olympic Sport Once Again?
Cricket is one of the most popular sports in the world, with a big fan base that reaches far beyond India. There’s no denying that India is home to some of the most talented cricketers in the world, and there are few other countries which are so passionate about the sport. What many people don’t know, is that cricket was once included in the Olympic Games. In the 1900 Olympics, cricket made its one and only appearance. Great Britain and France were the only participants in the Olympics held in Paris. Now, after 128 years, the ICC is pushing to get cricket included in the 2028 Games.
Why isn’t Cricket an Olympic Sport Right Now?
At the moment, cricket isn’t recognised as a global sport. Despite its huge popularity in countries like India, England, and South Africa, there aren’t many other nations that play cricket as seriously. More importantly, according to the rules indicated by the Olympic Charter, a sport must be played in a minimum of 75 countries and on four continents by men to be accepted as an Olympic sport. It should also be played in no less than 40 countries and on three continents by women to be chosen for the Olympic Games. Despite these rules and many opposing views to cricket being an Olympic sport, the ICC has made bringing back cricket to the Olympics its main focus.
The Pros and Cons of Bringing Back Cricket as an Olympic Sport
Interestingly enough, cricket is actually the second most popular sport in the world, with an estimated global following of 2.5 billion. The number of people betting on cricket is also one of the highest, with the industry estimated to be worth around $300 billion. Still, several sports fans and even cricket fans don’t agree that cricket should be included. Below, we’ll take a look at some of the opposing views for cricket in the Olympics, as well as the pros and cons associated with this.
The Pros
One of the reasons why cricket deserves a spot in the Olympics is because it has a massive viewership and following. If a suitable format of the game were to be created, it could easily lead to a huge spike in viewership and could be the perfect way to introduce cricket to a broader, more lucrative audience. Cricket could see a market expansion into nations like the USA and China.
The fact that India is undeniably home to some of the best cricketers in the world is another strong argument for the inclusion of the sport in the Olympics. With such talented cricket players and other athletes enjoying worldwide success, the chances of winning a gold medal at the Olympics would be high. Neeraj Chopra’s recent gold medal win in Javelin in the 2020 Olympic Games is a case in point. Chopra’s gold medal win brought the first win for India after 121 rather unsuccessful years.
The Cons
One of the main cons if cricket were to be included in the games is that the format is simply not suitable and would likely need to change to fit the style of the Olympics. A typical T20 match can take up to four hours which is too lengthy for the packed Olympic schedule. Changing the format would change cricket as the fans know it and many passionate cricket fans would rather not see their favourite sport at the games for this reason.
Besides the time factor, there is also the general feeling that cricket isn’t exactly a fast-paced game, especially when compared to other sports that build up a lot of excitement in a short time. There is also the issue of cost and logistics. Building a cricket pitch is not only very expensive to build but also requires a very large space that the Olympics would need to invest in to be able to include cricket in the games.
The Future of Cricket in the Olympic Games
Considering that cricket has grown massively in popularity since its appearance in the 1900 Olympics, there’s good reason to believe that the ICC will succeed in including the sport once again. The 2028 games will be held in Los Angeles, giving the ICC plenty of time to push for the re-inclusion of the sport in the Olympics.
