BCCI have so far remained non committal of cricket in the Olympics.
MCC’s World Cricket committee has urged BCCI to support the idea of pushing cricket to be included at the Olympics. The World Cricket committee, comprising of legends such as Ricky Ponting, Kumar Sangakkara along with current Bangladesh superstar Shakib Al Hasan believe that the richest cricket board should not play hindrance in getting the sport inducted in the quadrennial extravaganza.
“The game’s application to become an Olympic sport is gathering momentum and that the only remaining barrier is India’s reluctance to proceed,” an MCC release stated. “The committee has long been a supporter of Twenty20 cricket being included in the Olympic Games, believing it the single biggest step the game could take to unlock worldwide government funding and aid its global development,” it further stated.
The MCC wants cricket to be included in the 2024 Paris edition of the Summer Games and if not then, at least for the 2028 Olympics to be held in Los Angeles. “For men’s and women’s cricket to thrive in future generations, new countries must be introduced to the sport; playing cricket in the Olympics is the best way to achieve this objective. “With plans for the 2024 Paris Games well advanced, the committee urges India to unite with the rest of the world game and lobby the International Olympic Committee for the inclusion of Twenty20 cricket in the Olympic Games, ideally in Paris but if not at Los Angeles in 2028,” the committee said.
During the committee meeting in Sydney, it was also discussed how a proper wage structure, together with the provision of more longer-term national central contracts, would entice more players to commit to international cricket, rather than opting out to play in domestic T20 leagues which would provide lucrative contracts. “There is concern that players in the poorer or developing nations are not being paid sufficiently, and there needs to be transparency and accountability of where ICC funds are being spent by some member boards,” it said.
Shakib Al Hasan, sitting for his first ever meeting and the first player from Bangladesh at such an avenue, gave his views and opinions on wide range of issues affecting a modern cricketer. He stressed on how a youngster would be more inclined to play in global domestic T20 tournaments as against pushing themselves for Test cricket. The committee also believed that it is a hard choice for players to make and varies upon country to country.
Also discussed at the meeting was the implementation of extreme heat policy in cases such as the fifth Ashes Test where the temperature in Sydney rose to a staggering 47.3 degrees celsius – the highest the Australian city has seen in 80 years. The sheer heat played a role in England skipper Joe Root being taken to hospital for dehydration. Later the England officials said the cause for Root’s retirement on the fifth day was a viral gastroenteritis bug.
Ponting, a member of the committee, said, “He probably had a viral thing too, but having one or two players go down seriously ill like that is a dangerous precedent just to ignore. I played in a game in Sharjah where it was 55 degrees air temperature and it did get dangerous.”
Another point discussed at the meeting was the recommendation of using stem guards – which attach to helmets to provide extra protection at the back of the head and neck – and making them mandatory in the professional game. The guards have taken popularity since the death of former Australian batsman Phil Hughes in 2014 after being struck on the top of the neck.
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