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England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) head Richard Gould expressed his full support for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and India on a potential bid to host the 2036 Olympics. Gould praised Jay Shah, the Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), for his leadership role in the development of cricket across the globe. The ECB boss said that at present, the BCCI is the most important cricket board.
In an exclusive interview with Dainik Jagran, Richard Gould heaped praise on the Indian cricket board. India is likely to bid to host the 2036 Olympics, where cricket could mark its presence alongside the other major events. Richard Gould mentioned that they will support India and the BCCI if cricket is included in the Olympics.
ECB boss Richard Gould supports India for 2036 Olympics
The boss of the ECB pointed out that cricket’s return to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is a major opportunity for the sport. Under the leadership of Jay Shah, the ICC vows to expand the game across the world. Cricket in the Olympics is a major step towards growth, and for that, Richard Gould praised Jay Shah.
Additionally, he mentioned that the Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad in 2030 will be a great opportunity for India to make their preparations for the 2036 Olympics.
Putting a light on the relationship between the Indian cricket board and the England cricket board, the top official of the ECB claimed that they are sharing a very strong bond between themselves and already have framed a wide range of plans for the upcoming years.
ECB and BCCI already have a blueprint for the upcoming 10-15 years
If the claims made by Gould are to be believed, then India and England both have plans for the next decades or more than that. The revival of Test and ODI formats is one of the main priorities in the long-term plans framed jointly by the ECB and BCCI.
Before labelling the BCCI as the most important cricket board in the world, Richard Gould said that India and England are confirmed to face each other in the longest format of the game for the next 10 to 15 years.
Back-to-back finals of the World Test Championships (WTCs) became one of the most discussed topics among cricket fans. ICC provided the rights to the England cricket board to host three consecutive WTC finals on their grounds. In defence of the decision made by ICC, Gould mentioned that England has a huge fan following across the world, which ensures a full-house stadium for the WTC finals.
🔥 भारत की ओलिंपिक दावेदारी का समर्थन करेगा ईसीबी : रिचर्ड
— Abhishek Tripathi / अभिषेक त्रिपाठी (@abhishereporter) August 8, 2026
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🔥 ईसीबी के सीईओ ने जय शाह और… pic.twitter.com/KltQh601Mb
Multiple tri-nation ODI series are in the line
To revive the ODI format, BCCI and ECB have planned for multiple tri-nation ODI series in the future, which will increase the competitive nature of the format. In the next 12 to 18 months, there can be multiple ODI tri-nation series.
Richard Gould also mentioned that they prefer fewer complications in their cricket schedule. However, they are open to talking about the possible options.
