London: Ricky Ponting has given his support to calls by the MCC World Cricket Committee for the Twenty20 version to be included in the Olympics.
Some officials in major cricket nations such as England have long been resistant to the idea of the sport joining the Games, fearing the impact it could have on its own home season. But others within cricket see the Games as an ideal way to spread cricket globally, as emerging nations can receive government funding for Olympic-linked sports.
Ponting, who serves on the MCC World Cricket Committee alongside former Test captains Mike Brearley, Shaun Pollock and Sourav Ganguly, said at Lord’s on Tuesday, after a two-day meeting: “It was quite unanimous as almost all members of this committee agreed that we should look to grow the game into an Olympic sport.
“The opportunity to open up different markets, considering the Olympics is the pinnacle of global sport, to be able to get cricket into something like that would be an awesome spectacle in itself.
”It would be great for the growth and development of cricket, obviously talking about T20 cricket here.”
The former Australia captain added: “There were a number of things that were tossed around, whether, like with football, make it an under-23 tournament. The whole discussion around cricket being in the Olympics was very positive.
“That's one way of breaking into some of these markets and attracting new audiences into the game, which I think the game needs right now.”
Rugby Union, where many of the major nations are the same as those in cricket, will see its shortest format, Sevens, make its Olympic debut at next year's Rio Games.
The committee, meanwhile, said a plan by the ICC to cut the 2019 World Cup in England to a 10-team event was a “retrograde step.”
This year's edition in Australia and New Zealand featured 14 teams and there are fears for the future of cricket in emerging countries.
Ponting will also ring the bell to signal five minutes before the start of play on Day I of the second Ashes Test.
(Agencies)
