“It’s good information (cricket in the Olympics) if you are a businessman. America has a large portion of Asian expats, who are crazy about cricket and will fill the stadium and naturally watch the sport on TV or streaming apps.
IMAGE: The Los Angeles Olympics could help cricket achieve mainstream appeal. {Photography}: Adnan Abidi/Reuters
For a long time, cricket remained a global statistical sport with no real basis. A stable fan base of 2.5 billion and ever-increasing television revenues have shaped its focus to qualify as a sport with global reach, second only to football.
However, in reality, all of this is stored in the Commonwealth countries and even among them, India alone handles around 70%, if not more, of these figures.
But now, all that could change as cricket, in its T20 avatar, has made its re-entry into the Olympic fold via the 2028 edition in Los Angeles, and it is a mutually useful affiliation from both sporting and industrial angles.
From a sporting perspective, the Olympics provide an unrivaled platform for cricket, perhaps even bigger than a World Cup.
Standing on the podium with an Olympic medal around your neck is an unparalleled feeling for any sportsman, as it is a warm and respectful handshake with a history dating back to 1896.
“It is a wonderful report that cricket is part of the Olympics. This will definitely enrich the global image of cricket,” said Keith Joseph, president of the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC), who has given strong support to the ICC’s efforts to include cricket in the Games. Los Angeles Olympics.
“T20 also provides a great platform in terms of era and reference to young audiences. The fact that the United States can co-host the T20 World Cup in 2024 will also work as a great precursor to cricket ahead of the Olympics,” he points out.
However, expecting cricket to match the general enchantment of football, something the game has always cherished, simply because of its Olympic look, is a bit…
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