The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed that it is pushing for cricket's inclusion in the Olympic Games. A Working Group would be leading the bid on behalf of the game to be included in Los Angeles 2028.
Cricket has featured in the Olympic Games once back in 1900 where only Great Britain and hosts France locked horns with each other during the competition.
It will be a part of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games next year.
“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.
Barclay further added that cricket has a strong fanbase especially in the South Asia. “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,” he added.
England and Wales Cricket Board Chair Ian Watmore will chair the ICC Olympic Working Group and 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.