For a long time, cricket remained a statistical global sport without a truly global basis. A solid fan base of 2.5 billion people and ever-growing TV revenues set the stage for it to be labeled as a sport with global appeal, second only to football. In reality, however, this is all parked in the Commonwealth countries, and even among these countries, India alone is responsible for about 70 percent, if not more, of those numbers. But now all this could change as cricket, in its T20 avatar, has made its return to the Olympics in the 2028 edition in Los Angeles, and it is a mutually beneficial association from a sporting and commercial point of view. From a sporting perspective, the Olympic Games provide an unparalleled platform for cricket, perhaps even bigger than a World Cup.
Standing on the podium with an Olympic medal around the neck is an unparalleled feeling for any athlete, as it is a reverently warm handshake with a history dating back to 1896.
“It is excellent news that cricket is part of the Olympic Games. It will certainly contribute to the global image of cricket,” said Keith Joseph, chairman of the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC), who delivered a powerful speech. supporting the ICC’s efforts to include cricket in the LA Olympics.
“T20 also provides an excellent platform in terms of duration and connection to a younger audience. The fact that the US will co-host the T20 World Cup in 2024 will also act as a very good precursor to cricket in the run-up to the Olympics,” he pointed out.
However, it is rather naive to expect cricket to match the universal appeal of football, something the sport has always cherished, just because of an Olympic appearance.
Case in point: The ICC men’s T20 rankings have 87 countries in the men’s section and 66 in the women’s section. But the FIFA rankings cover 207 men’s teams and 186 women’s outfits; the numbers show the huge gap between the two sports.
This is of course not to deny that the T20 format has helped cricket reach some hitherto unexplored corners of Africa, Europe and Latin America.
“Yes, it’s a good first step in bringing cricket to a global audience. Because the US is a big market and there is a strong presence of sub-continental audiences. But so far it has only been shot in Los Angeles, and hopefully it will it also occurs in Brisbane (in 2032).
“It is important because Australia is a traditional cricketing nation and the opportunity to play there will be a big boost for the sport. It could even open doors for cricket to become a permanent Olympic sport,” said a senior BCCI executive .
However, cricket had to jump over several self-imposed hurdles to return to the Olympics.
Both the referees and the players did not want to follow several clauses, especially those related to their residence which is mandatory for random dope tests, established by the IOC, IOA, WADA etc.
England, the champion team when cricket was last staged at the Olympics in 1900, was another country initially reluctant to take the plunge.
“Yes, there were some difficulties in reaching agreement on certain issues, such as the residence clause.
“Most importantly, the BCCI and ICC and some other boards have found a common ground to take cricket to a global stage,” the administrator said.
Away from the sporting field, the IOA might also have considered the appeal of cricket, especially in the US, a country with a large Asian diaspora.
An industry insider, contacted by PTI, said the million eyes that cricket guarantees will have a huge impact on the purchase of broadcast rights for the LA Olympics.
“It’s great news (cricket at the Olympics) if you’re a businessman. America has a large section of Asian expats, who love cricket and who will fill the stadium and of course watch the match on TV or streaming apps.
“Since cricket takes place in LA, we estimate that the selling price of broadcast rights will increase at least 20 to 30 percent over the existing ones, which is huge for a single edition,” the expert said.
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