Dubai: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has intensified its efforts to include cricket in the Olympics.
According to ICC, including cricket in the Olympics can generate significant revenue from the Indian market. The ICC believes that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) can earn between $130 million to $260 million in media rights from India. However, for the Paris 2024 Olympics, the media rights for the Indian market may be limited to $31 million.
Greg Barclay, Chairman of the ICC, stated that there are over one billion cricket fans worldwide, and 90% of them want to see cricket included in the Olympics. Former Mayor of Los Angeles and the U.S. Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, expressed his desire to see cricket included in the Olympics. Garcetti stated that the United States is keen to have cricket included in the Olympics.
According to international media reports, a committee led by ICC’s Jay Shah has been formed to include cricket in the Olympics. The ICC’s recommendation is to have six men’s and six women’s cricket teams competing in the T20 format in the Olympics. The final decision regarding the inclusion of cricket is expected to be made during the ICC meeting scheduled for October in Mumbai.