Why cricket is not included in Olympics?

shivesh73

Cricket is one of the top sports in world and it is not included in biggest sporting event i.e. Olympic Games. Cricket was played only one time in the history of Olympics which was in 1900.

What are the possible reasons why cricket is not included in Olympics??

TrueDub

Because only a limited number of nations are interested, I would suggest.

Also, until relatively recently, cricket matches lasted 4 or 5 days - there wasn't time to play it to a conclusion during an Olympics.

With the advent of T20 that might change, and there have been murmurings in that direction recently.

ceegee

Main issue would be match length (even 20/20 is lengthy enough)
Added to that is the fact that only a few countries would have much interest in it.

Dozen Wicked Words

Time of matches is clearly not an issue for the Olympic committee since they are happy enough with golf.

Hockey is in Olympics and isn't played to high standard by any more international teams than cricket is.

Baseball, Softball and Rugby sevens have, or are going to feature at Olympics and I would question any of those sports have broader appeal than cricket.

NinetyForNone

Lack of the host having a cricket infrastructure/grounds would be one valid reason.
I assume a baseball diamond would be cheap enough to develop and replace.

shivesh73

I think match length is not a valid reason as a twenty20 match takes hardly 3.5 hours to complete. So it can be considered.

Rjd2

From all accounts its the dreadful Giles Clarke and the ECB very much against it as they fear it would mess their summer schedule. I can't see any reason why the associates would not want to be part of it whatsoever.

Dirty Dingus McGee

Surely there are enough sports where the Olympics have no real status without adding another to it.

It's a joke that Golf,Tennis,Soccer etc are in it without adding another sport where the competition will have no real meaning.

ArmaniJeanss

50 over tournament was in the Commonwealth Games relatively recently (1998) and didn't really work.
Could argue that if it was a roaring success in the Commonwealth Games then it might ultimately have become an Olympic sport, and conversely if the CG now doesn't bother with it (despite all the major cricket powers being Commonwealth countries) then why should the Olympics have an interest.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket_at_the_1998_Commonwealth_Games

Dozen Wicked Words

Looks like Colin Graves reads boards, he thinks cricket should push for Olympic inclusion. He's mentioned idea of 10 over games though, and that's taking the p*ss imo.


http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/oct/18/ecb-chairman-colin-graves-cricket-olympics

Beasty

I think any new sport can only be introduced at the expense of one currently at the Olympics. It would need support from the IOC and a host nation as initially it needs to go in as a test event. There are simply not enough countries involved in cricket to get enough support and indeed throw out another sport (most of which have widespread support across IOC members)

hinault

Beasty wrote: »

I think any new sport can only be introduced at the expense of one currently at the Olympics. It would need support from the IOC and a host nation as initially it needs to go in as a test event. There are simply not enough countries involved in cricket to get enough support and indeed throw out another sport (most of which have widespread support across IOC members)

The populations of Australia, West Indies, India, Pakistan, South Africa, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, New Zealand, England, not to mention ICC non-test playing nations, Ireland, Scotland, Holland, Afghanistan, UAE.............................all prove that Cricket enjoys huge international support compared to Olympic sports such as 7's rugby for example.

ArmaniJeanss

hinault wrote: »

The populations of Australia, West Indies, India, Pakistan, South Africa, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, New Zealand, England, not to mention ICC non-test playing nations, Ireland, Scotland, Holland, Afghanistan, UAE.............................all prove that Cricket enjoys huge international support compared to Olympic sports such as 7's rugby for example.

Rugby 7s is very simple to schedule in an Olympics.
1 stadium for 4 days (2 days women, 2 days men). Done and dusted.

A 12 team cricket comp is 18 group games (assuming 3 roundrobin groups of 4) or 30 group games (assuming 2 roundrobin groups of 6). Then knockouts.
Double your total of games for the womens event.
Even if its 20/20 variant its still 4 hours a game, so looks to need fairly exclusive use of 2, probably 3 grounds for the entire 14 days of the Olympics. Justifiable?(bearing in mind the Olympics will mostly be in cities without existing cricket grounds)

minitrue

A T20 is 2h40m (without delays) and not 4 hours, so with floodlights you could easily play 3 games per day on a ground and perhaps even 4.

Given that Rugby has gone with 7s it wouldn't be outlandish to have 6s Cricket at the Olympics instead of T20s or 10 over games. 6s has a huge advantage in terms of producing a suitable ground as it doesn't need anything like the space of an 11 a side game. It also levels out the field a lot and makes it far more possible for the non-Test nations to produce a competitive side.

An Irish 6s side of KOB, Stirling, Balbirnie+, Mooney, Sorenson and Murtagh sounds pretty good to me

Kilo

minitrue wrote: »

A T20 is 2h40m (without delays) and not 4 hours, so with floodlights you could easily play 3 games per day on a ground and perhaps even 4.

Given that Rugby has gone with 7s it wouldn't be outlandish to have 6s Cricket at the Olympics instead of T20s or 10 over games. 6s has a huge advantage in terms of producing a suitable ground as it doesn't need anything like the space of an 11 a side game. It also levels out the field a lot and makes it far more possible for the non-Test nations to produce a competitive side.

An Irish 6s side of KOB, Stirling, Balbirnie+, Mooney, Sorenson and Murtagh sounds pretty good to me

That might work. The main problem with cricket is length of matches and size of ground. Also the number of grounds required might be an issue.

If you could double up ground usage with other sports then it might be a runner.

But it all comes down to what sports would lose out.

Dozen Wicked Words

Kilo wrote: »

That might work. The main problem with cricket is length of matches and size of ground. Also the number of grounds required might be an issue.

If you could double up ground usage with other sports then it might be a runner.

But it all comes down to what sports would lose out.

Baseball/Softball at a guess, they bounce in and out of the games too though. Those sports need similar amount of time and playing area.

salmocab

Just to stick my oar in on this, I don't think cricket should be an olympic sport just like the watered down version of things like soccer and rugby shouldn't be along with a few other games. The olympics should be the pinnacle of a sport not just another tournament. Would a Tennis player or golfer rather win a major or olympic gold? Id be fairly confident it would be the major and they get 4 or 5 shots at them a year.

The Lost Sheep

salmocab wrote: »

Just to stick my oar in on this, I don't think cricket should be an olympic sport just like the watered down version of things like soccer and rugby shouldn't be along with a few other games. The olympics should be the pinnacle of a sport not just another tournament. Would a Tennis player or golfer rather win a major or olympic gold? Id be fairly confident it would be the major and they get 4 or 5 shots at them a year.

The thing with rugby 7s is the Olympics is the pinnacle of that particular version of the sport.
I don't think we can rule out sports like Tennis, Cycling, Football, Golf etc. What is real need to remove them?

riffmongous

salmocab wrote: »

Just to stick my oar in on this, I don't think cricket should be an olympic sport just like the watered down version of things like soccer and rugby shouldn't be along with a few other games. The olympics should be the pinnacle of a sport not just another tournament. Would a Tennis player or golfer rather win a major or olympic gold? Id be fairly confident it would be the major and they get 4 or 5 shots at them a year.

I'd agree with the principle of this, but the olympics seems to be getting further away from this unfortunately and if all those other sports get a place then why not cricket too I guess

feargale

The powers have not been good at propagating cricket. They froze out USA in 1914 when it was a force.
And their attitude to granting Ireland test status is mealy-mouthed.

salmocab

riffmongous wrote: »

I'd agree with the principle of this, but the olympics seems to be getting further away from this unfortunately and if all those other sports get a place then why not cricket too I guess

Id agree with you, the reality is the Olympics is about money and bums on seats so soccer and rugby 7s might shift tickets but cricket might not especially if it was in a country with little interest existing in it.

Rjd2

salmocab wrote: »

Just to stick my oar in on this, I don't think cricket should be an olympic sport just like the watered down version of things like soccer and rugby shouldn't be along with a few other games. The olympics should be the pinnacle of a sport not just another tournament. Would a Tennis player or golfer rather win a major or olympic gold? Id be fairly confident it would be the major and they get 4 or 5 shots at them a year.

And what is the pinnacle of the game for associates? They struggle to get games and the few they do is often against b sides of test sides when they can be bothered to play them once in a blue moon. They would kill to be in the Olympics and have something to strive for. At the moment with the horrible Giles Clarke reducing both world cups to the big boys, where is the carrot for young people to get involved?

The ideas that some have suggested such as beach cricket are a little silly, but **** it, most associates would gladly accept it as they are crying out for chances to express themselves on the world stage.

Cricket fan

Its not in the Olympics because the ICC are ran by morons who dont give a toss about the game in general. These nonsensical suggestions of 10 over or beach cricket just shows how serious the ICC take this whole thing.

Rugby making monumental strides globally and here we have cricket stuck with utterly pointless,boring meaningless bilaterals between the same 4 sides over and over and over. Part of me hopes rugby leaves cricket in the dust, least then a genuinely progressive sport will get its rewards as opposed to this sham of a governing body claiming to be in charge of the world no.2 sport.

On the one hand the ICC throw millions at the US trying laughably to gain a foothold and on the other hand the one thing that'd make the US government invest millions into the game and they dont want it. Would be funny if it wasnt so sad.

Notabluffer

I agree with that.

salmocab

Rjd2 wrote: »

And what is the pinnacle of the game for associates? They struggle to get games and the few they do is often against b sides of test sides when they can be bothered to play them once in a blue moon. They would kill to be in the Olympics and have something to strive for. At the moment with the horrible Giles Clarke reducing both world cups to the big boys, where is the carrot for young people to get involved?

The ideas that some have suggested such as beach cricket are a little silly, but **** it, most associates would gladly accept it as they are crying out for chances to express themselves on the world stage.

Sorry for the late reply I was away, even if cricket was at the olympics I can't see too many associates being there. The ICC would still have to be involved if it was an olympic sport and as we all know they are crickets real problem.

shivesh73

ICC is putting great efforts to bring cricket in Olympics as well as in Commonwealth Games. We may see cricketers participating in Olympic Games and winning gold medal for country.

The Lost Sheep

shivesh73 wrote: »

ICC is putting great efforts to bring cricket in Olympics as well as in Commonwealth Games. We may see cricketers participating in Olympic Games and winning gold medal for country.

Might see cricket going into Commonwealth games but if it doesn't go into Commonwealth games it has no chance of making it into the Olympics and I don't see 20/20 ever being played in an Olympics

Skid X

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci-icc/content/story/1031283.html

Cricket will be included in the 2024 Olympics if Rome wins their bid to host the games, the president of the Italian board has said.

Rome is one of the cities bidding to host the Olympics in 2024 - alongside Paris, Los Angeles and Budapest - and, under new regulations, will have the opportunity to add five sports to the games as they see fit. France Cricket is attempting to win a similar commitment with the Paris organising committee.

"If Rome hosts the Olympics, cricket will be included," Simone Gambino, president of the Federazione Cricket Italiana (FCI) told ESPNcricinfo. "We have had a firm commitment from the organising committee."

It seems unlikely that (some form of) Cricket could make it to the Olympics within 8 years, but if there is any substance in that article, it might happen.

pajor

hinault wrote: »

The populations of Australia, West Indies, India, Pakistan, South Africa, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, New Zealand, England, not to mention ICC non-test playing nations, Ireland, Scotland, Holland, Afghanistan, UAE.............................all prove that Cricket enjoys huge international support compared to Olympic sports such as 7's rugby for example.

One thing that would have to be considered as well is the matter of countries/nations and players having to declare.

Would there be any players on Irish team who would want to declare for Team GB?

England + Scotland (for now) = Team GB

West Indies would have to be fragmented into their respective countries. Which was only ever done before for the '98 CG.

I'm not sure would this shifting around of teams be an advantage for the likes of Team GB or would it level the field for everyone?

salmocab

pajor wrote: »

One thing that would have to be considered as well is the matter of countries/nations and players having to declare.

Would there be any players on Irish team who would want to declare for Team GB?

England + Scotland (for now) = Team GB

West Indies would have to be fragmented into their respective countries. Which was only ever done before for the '98 CG.

I'm not sure would this shifting around of teams be an advantage for the likes of Team GB or would it level the field for everyone?

I think in Rugby 7s there is an agreement that players from Ulster will only play for Ireland as its a 32 county game like cricket so maybe they could make a similar agreement. It would need English cricket and Irish cricket to agree obviously but I wouldn't imagine either would object.

Fratton Fred

salmocab wrote: »

I think in Rugby 7s there is an agreement that players from Ulster will only play for Ireland as its a 32 county game like cricket so maybe they could make a similar agreement. It would need English cricket and Irish cricket to agree obviously but I wouldn't imagine either would object.

And Scottish cricket.

ArmaniJeanss

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

50 over tournament was in the Commonwealth Games relatively recently (1998) and didn't really work.
Could argue that if it was a roaring success in the Commonwealth Games then it might ultimately have become an Olympic sport, and conversely if the CG now doesn't bother with it (despite all the major cricket powers being Commonwealth countries) then why should the Olympics have an interest.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket_at_the_1998_Commonwealth_Games

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

Might see cricket going into Commonwealth games but if it doesn't go into Commonwealth games it has no chance of making it into the Olympics and I don't see 20/20 ever being played in an Olympics

Bumped thread.

First step in the road, with T20 Womens given the go-ahead for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/cricket/story/women-cricket-t20-internationals-2002-commonwealth-games-birmingham-edgbaston-1580353-2019-08-13

Richard Hillman

I'm surprised the Indians are not pushing for this. India have an appauling record at the Olympics. 9 golds in total, the same as Ireland.

The only market that is untapped for the IOC is the Asian Sub Continent. Pakistan (3 golds), Sri Lanka (0 golds) and Bangladesh (don't even have a medal) also have terrible Olympic records. That's a market of 1.7bn people who's interest in the Olympics is likely very casual because they very have little stake in it.

It makes sense on both sides.

nice bit of green

I don’t like how sports feel the need to chase participation in the olympics for some sort of recognition.

namloc1980

nice bit of green wrote: »

I don’t like how sports feel the need to chase participation in the olympics for some sort of recognition.

In fairness it brings a global spotlight on sports that people normally wouldn't be bothered watching. That exposure is huge for sports that are looking to grow.

t.singh1

Cricket is a long game. I think that should be the reason.

salmocab

t.singh1 wrote: »

Cricket is a long game. I think that should be the reason.

It could go in at 20/20 level with 8 teams to keep it reasonably short.

Happyhouse22

ICC pushing for cricket’s inclusion for the 2028 games in LA.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/aug/10/icc-prepares-bid-for-crickets-inclusion-in-2028-los-angeles-olympics

Strumms

Problem I can see is the weather. And the logistical complications that would throw up...

cricket is one of the very few sports 1000% dependent on the weather to allow a fixture take place. No rain, good light.

if on Sunday 15th August there was in the morning and afternoon a bronze playoff, then in the evening and night the gold / silver final... forecast is rain all week or most of it... what then ? Security, stewards, police, administrators, catering folks, ground staff, extra transportation arrangements can’t be held off waiting all week until the weather gets better.

athletics, swimming, football, equestrian, archery, diving, and lots more have no real weather requirements and would only be impacted if extreme weather events impacted them... Cricket is one of the very few sports that is 1000% depending on good weather and good light..

martingriff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117758166#Comment_117758166

Even Tennis which used to be dependent on rain can now been done with a roof. Can't see that with cricket.

Happyhouse22

Hmm interesting observation. Definitely could see this being an issue.

Maybe schedule the entire tournament to finish within the first week of the games... That gives seven extra days to play with. How is this issue resolved at other tournaments - I seem to remember the odd Ireland game decided with the Duckworth-Lewis method.

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117758535#Comment_117758535

Could try it but I’m googling here and I can’t find any examples of indoor international cricket maybe need to be trialed first.

salmocab

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117758565#Comment_117758565

I’d be surprised if there was any self supporting roof in the world that would cover a test match oval. Maybe in some mega factories. Indoor cricket is not feasible.

my own feelings are if winning Olympic gold is not the pinnacle of the sport it shouldn’t be there. Soccer, rugby, baseball, basketball, tennis and golf shouldn’t be there. I’d say an Aussie would take an ashes series over an Olympic gold.

martingriff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117758565#Comment_117758565

I wasn't really suggesting it. Could not see a way of that big of a roof in a cricket pitch

martingriff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117758693#Comment_117758693

Given McIlroy said he never fought so hard to be third and it was refreshing and Stephanie meadows playing golf in the olympics instead of competing in an event she won last time with a purse of over €10 million. There was also the Brizillian player who played both the Copa America and Olympics and scored this week in the premiership.

Edit Richardlison for Everton

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117761710#Comment_117761710

Cost millions and just sit idle for most of the year.

also I think one of the factors of cricket is the weather and it’s impact and how teams manage it...

ie.

overcast and humid = swing

dry pitch = spin

green pitch with moisture = movement off the seam.

with a roof you’d be using drop in pitches, which most cricketers hate playing on.