EVEN AS THE PROVISIONAL LIST OF 28 sports that have made the initial cut for the 2028 Los Angeles Games is out there, the International Cricket Council has reportedly put together a $3 million war chest to push cricket’s case for inclusion at LA28.
Seen from this perch, the ICC’s hopes of getting cricket into the LA28 “high table” are negligible to non existent, but where the lobbying and PR blitz that is reportedly being planned might have some value is in making a case for “future representation”.
It bears noting that the ICC publicly announced interest in representation at the Olympics only in August, so having a long-term view on inclusion is comprehensible. As for LA28 inclusion, it is a dead in the water possibility, $3m or no $3m.
Fact: Historically, cricket has made no case as far as representation at global multi-sport mega events are concerned. Cricket was included as a discipline only once in Olympic history – in 1900. All of two countries – Great Britain and France – were represented. It should surprise no one that the British took the Gold as the French couldn’t even put together a full squad (it had no less than 11 English expatriates in its ranks).
The only other global multi-sport event where cricket was included as a discipline was the Commonwealth Games. Once. At the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Games. It was played as a 50 overs per innings tournament.
Cricket’s second appearance at the Commonwealth Games will be next year in Birmingham. No men. Only women’s teams will be competing in a Twenty20 tournament.
Now let us examine cricket’s case for inclusion at the 2032 Olympics, which is being held in Queensland, Australia. On the plus side, cricket is played in Australia.
Any other advantages? Not really. For cricket goes in with a BIG disadvantage right from the get go in time taken to complete a game. A single T20 game, which is what the ICC plans to pitch before the International Olympic Committee, takes a minimum of 3 hours.
There is only 1 Olympic sports discipline that crosses the 3 hour mark – the 50 km race walk. An Olympic athletics event that first appeared in 1932, made its FINAL Olympic appearance this year at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Why is the time factor a big deal? The list of new approved sports at LA28 includes skateboarding, surfing and sports climbing. All three made successful Olympic debuts at this year’s Tokyo Olympics and look to be locked in for the future as the IOC chases younger audiences (emphasis ours).
In conclusion, while SportzPower wishes the ICC well in its endeavours to push cricket’s case at LA28 and possibly beyond, the people who matter in cricket’s world governing body seriously need to “wake up and smell the coffee”.
