Chennai: Cricket was a part of the 1900 Paris Olympics for the last time and later considered a non-Olympic sport. However, ICC has been pushing around the idea for T-20 cricket to make a comeback in Olympics 2024 in Paris. All they require is the support of BCCI, who firmly believe that cricket doesn’t belong in the Olympics.
“We have heard about the ICC’s Olympics initiative but most members are not keen,” a senior BCCI official said.
According to the International Olympics Council (IOC), there has to be an assurance of the top teams and players participating in the event; only then the bid will go in for consideration. But without BCCI’s agreement, ICC won’t be able to bring back cricket in Olympics.
“The ICC is continuing to explore the possibility of cricket’s inclusion in the Olympics and the main thrust of that at present is on convincing the BCCI. But with everything that has happened there over the last few months, it has delayed the process.”
The bidding process will take place in September, which gives ICC not much time, but BCCI feels that if cricket becomes an Olympic sport, they will lose their autonomy.
Apart from that, a member pointed out, “The BCCI has been treated very shabbily by the ICC in recent times. Now if they come to us for their own benefits, why would we comply? And we don’t even know about the financial aspect of such a big step.”
“We are not saying it’s completely ruled out, but a decision shouldn’t be forced upon us. It should be an independent, well-considered decision,” another member stated. –News Source
