Adam Gilchrist, the retired Australian cricket international, has used his Colin Cowdrey Spirit of Cricket address to call for the sport to make a concerted effort to be included in the Olympics. "The single best way to spread the game globally," said Gilchrist, "is for the ICC to actively seek its inclusion as an Olympic sport."
He observed: "Without doubt the Olympic movement provides one of the most efficient and cost effective distribution networks for individual sports to spread their wings globally. It would be difficult to see a better, quicker or cheaper way of spreading the game throughout the world."
Several moves have been made by the game's administrators in recent years to begin a campaign to get cricket back in the Olympic programme for the first time since 1900, when a Devon and Somerset Wanderers side representing Britain beat France in a one-off match. In 2007 the IOC recognised cricket as a member sport and the ICC has repeatedly said it intends to push for full inclusion.
The earliest point at which cricket could be included would be 2020, with seven sports already competing for two spare spaces on the roster for 2016. Gilchrist believes cricket has one key advantage over rugby sevens, golf and squash, all of which are among the seven currently pushing for inclusion.
"The Olympic movement's only remaining dead pocket in the world happens to coincide with cricket's strongest – the subcontinent," said Gilchrist. "This region, which includes India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, represents just over one fifth of the world's population. But with the exception of their great hockey teams of the past, these cricket powerhouses have received barely a handful of Olympic medals in nearly 100 years of competition.
"What better way for the IOC to spread the Olympic brand and ideals into this region than on the back of T20 cricket? The rewards for both the ICC and IOC getting this right would be enormous."
source: http://guardian.co
0 comments:
Post a Comment