87% Percent Fans Want T20 Cricket to Become an Olympic Sport - ICC

The idea of making cricket an Olympics sport has been a much-debated topic in the world of cricket. Earlier, the time consuming formats of the game did not allow the ICC to step up their efforts for the inclusion of the game in Olympics.

However, the advent and the meteoric success of T20I has changed the scenario. The T20I format is not only time-saving but is also very entertaining, and the ICC wants to cash in on it.

The latest tweet from the governing body of the game pretty much shows how keen it is for the game’s inclusion in the biggest sporting extravaganza of the world.

Posting a trivia related to the game, the ICC revealed a vast majority of the fans are in favour of cricket’s inclusion in the game, tweeting:

“Did you know that cricket played a role in the opening ceremony of the 2012 London games? According to our research, 87% of fans want T20 cricket to become an Olympic sport! Would you like to see cricket at the @Olympics?

Did you know that cricket played a role in the opening ceremony of the 2012 London games?

According to our research, 87% of fans want T20 cricket to become an Olympic sport!

Would you like to see cricket at the @Olympics? pic.twitter.com/uW6a5ywOBL

— ICC (@ICC) June 27, 2018

Early this year, David Richardson, ICC’s chief executive, had said if all goes well, cricket will be a part of the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. Cricket has not been played at the Summer Games since it featured only once in Paris 1900.

With the deadline for submitting bids to the IOC for the inclusion of new sports at the 2024 Games is over, the ICC is hopeful of cricket’s inclusion at Los Angeles 2028.

“I think this decision can only help us in our move or application to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for the right to participate in the Olympics going forward,” Richardson had said in April this year,

“It’s going to take a bit of time. The 2024 Olympics will be in Paris and 2028 in Los Angeles. We have already missed the deadline to apply to IOC through the front door to get the right to participate (in 2024 Olympics),” he had added.

“We can’t go to Paris. But we have continued our talks with IOC and with LA in due course, hopefully, by 2028 we will have cricket in the Olympics.”