Most of us are aware that cricket has designs on being included in the Summer Olympic programme.
A few years back the ICC floated the concept of ‘Twenty20 at 2020′.
That went nowhere as the Tokyo Games will be sans cricket but shortly the IOC is going to sit down and listen to the ICC pitch for inclusion in the 2024 Games.
The venue is yet to be decided with the candidate cities for next year’s ballot being Rome, Hamburg, Paris, Budapest and Los Angeles.
In the lead-in to day two of the Gabba Test on Friday, Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland was asked on ABC Grandstand about the prospect of the sport being given an Olympic guernsey in nine years’ time.
Now, most of us consider that the Twenty20 format would be the one that would be pushed and it is the preferred option but having the necessary grounds required to accommodate it in non-cricket playing nations is an issue.
With that logistical hurdle in mind, Sutherland floated another couple of ideas, saying, “There are other ways it could be played. Beach cricket’s not a silly idea, nor is indoor cricket.”
No, you are right James they are not silly ideas.
They are simply ludicrous and totally bizarre.
How in the world could one of the most influential men in the sport have floated such ridiculous concepts?
It beggars belief that he, or anyone at the ICC, could contend that such forms of the game could be legitimately included on the Olympic calendar.
For crying out loud, beach cricket?
Eskies for stumps and fielding in the deep could really add to the Olympic spectacle.
Beach cricket is a past time, not really what you would classify as a sport, certainly not in an elite sense anyway.
Think beach cricket and you conjure up the recent multi-summer series played out around Australia on behalf of a beer manufacturer that featured the likes of Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thomson, Graham Gooch and Graeme Hick.
The sponsor was XXXX Gold. Coincidentally it was something along the lines of ‘XXXX’ that I uttered when I heard Sutherland float the idea of beach cricket at the Olympics.
Indoor cricket is perhaps just a rung – and a broken one at that – above the beach idea.
Yes, there is at least a World Indoor Cricket Federation.
It was established in 2004 and has six full members – Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, India and Sri Lanka – and three associate members (Wales, UAE and Singapore).
The first Indoor World Cup was held in England in 1995 and there have been nine men’s tournaments and eight women’s since then.
Each of those 17 World Cups have been won by Australia.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I am a passionate Australian sports fan but do we really think it would be a good idea to have cricket at the Olympics contested inside a small, netted rectangle?
The ICC seems hell bent on gaining Olympic admission.
In fact, it is arguing for readmission as it was part of the five ring circus at Paris in 1900.
And what a thrilling competition it was.
Great Britain defeated France by 158 runs to claim the gold medal.
“Who won the bronze?”, I hear you ask.
Simple. Nobody. Only two nations took part.
Cricket will no doubt point to rugby’s inclusion on the programme for Rio next year.
It was part of the Olympics for four Games between 1900 and 1924 – in fact a combined Australasian team won gold at London in 1908.
Back then it was the traditional 15-a-side format.
Next year in Brazil rugby sevens will make its debut having been included in the Rio programme while Jacques Rogge – a former Belgian national rugby captain – was IOC President.
It could be argued that rugby sevens is to the 15-a-side game what T20 is to longer form cricket.
In fact, you could mount a very strong case that given the crossover at elite international level between players in all three forms of cricket that T20 would represent a higher level of sport than rugby sevens at the Olympics.
But, does that mean cricket should be at the Olympics in any form?
No it doesn’t.
But, one thing is certain if it is granted a place at the 2024 Games or beyond it can only be in one form and that is T20.
The idea that it could be played on a mat laid down on beach sand or in an indoor gymnasium is ludicrous.
Sorry James, but there is no way you will get consensus on either of those forms of the sport being included at the Olympics.
CG2430
Guest
All of that said, get that beach cricket back in summer - that was fun!
SM
Guest
Except cricket is not looking to grow. The all-powerful Indians have made that abundantly clear.
Mike Huber
Roar Pro
Truth really is stranger than fiction ! How a person like Sutherland can climb the corporate ladder and end up CEO of Cricket Australia gives hope to every moron, idiot, imbecile, bonehead, muttonhead, dunce, nitwit, twit, dimwit, fool, imbecile, pinhead, simpleton, cretin and nincompoop out there . Pink balls, test night cricket, now beach cricket at the Olympics...... ??? At times like this, I wish Australia had lax gun control laws !
NaBUru38
Guest
Bmx racing is aready in.
Punter
Guest
I love the Olympics, but then again I pick & choose the sports I like to watch, Football, Athletics, swimming, Rowing are among my favourites. I also like seeing Australians in any sport competing on the world stage.
Bakkies
Guest
The Indian Cricket Council is again looking to narrow the World Cup which leaves developing teams in the dark. The IOC wouldn't be impressed with that. You also have to have a x amount of competitive nations playing mens and women's Cricket. Rugby was declined once which would have seen a début at Beijing or London as women's Rugby was the main reason. The IRB went to address that by setting up a Women's 7s series with other qualifying tournaments. The Women's XVs also has a higher profile with the Six Nations and World Cup.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
And we could have a final between the Bondi Lifesavers and Club Med lifeguards.
Working Class Rugger
Roar Guru
They could always try and get Super6s in. :D It was (might still be played) a short lived thing some time ago. Could play several games in a day. :D
Bondy
Guest
What's also difficult is the Olympics only run for a fortnight ,where most Cricket competitions run for just over a month and also what level of credibility would it hold where as an instance with the Rugby most of the Wallabies will never be in contention for an Olympic guernsey the format being deemed a specialist sport would a Mitch Stark, Dave Warner or Steve Smith be included in a beach or indoor format ? . I'd suggest lobbying in whatever format to the sport at a Commonwealth Games then see if its got traction from there perhaps a serious 15 over format and match completion within less than two hours ,but those types of governing bodies want money immediately generated from new sports and eyeballs on screens . The beach concept is silly but perhaps the indoor format has legs at the Comm games . Just reflecting whilst writing this it would also be very weird being a Commonwealth or Olympic champion at beach or the indoor format as a player and never having played Test Match Cricket for your Nation if they were specialised player events...
fp11
Guest
Beach cricket?! Is there a league where they play this?
Baz
Guest
Proud of yourself?
Camo McD
Roar Guru
This is a massive opportunity for cricket. In the T20 format there is far less of a gap between full members and associates and I suspect the Netherlands for example are better than a few full members but just do not get much opportunity. I understand China's women's team is not bad despite the ICC only providing $30k per year for the entirety of China. Olympic status would immediately open government funding in the tens of millions. The Olympics would provide a realistic goal for many nations currently excluded from major tournaments in the current set up. What is truly worrying is that someone as senior as Sutherland is even mentioning beach and indoor cricket at this stage. Even worse is that Giles Clarke is to be involved in the ICC's meetings with the IOC in Lausanne. Clarke is a well known opponent of cricket at the Olympics and it wouldn't surprise me if he was to be effective in butchering this huge opportunity for the sport.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
He's been on the happy weed.
spruce moose
Guest
Could have a lot of fun tearing apart that second paragraph...but your first paragraph is spot on.
Republican
Guest
Farcical. If anything, the Olympics needs to be culled of what is a self perpetuating inflation of gimmick sports that only serve to dumb down its status and tradition. This glut of tacky inclusions is contrary to the ethos of the games and is driven by commerce to increase respective nations medal aspirations. It must cease forthwith.
Paulie
Guest
He was only joking "SURELY"
Mister Football
Roar Guru
The Olympics became a complete farce a long, long time ago.
Steve
Guest
Why not? There's a rugby league World Cup. -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.
GJP
Guest
As I sit here at the Gabba looking at thousands of empty seats (from my $60 start) I wonder if cricket authorities would be better off worrying about the presence it already has, rather than the Olympics. The Olympics are for real, established sports. Beach cricket doesn't count. That James Sutherland would even suggest it makes me doubt his fitness for tackling the real issues.
My2cents
Guest
That's why cricket needs the Olympics. It would grow the game around the globe because countries like China Russia and the USA like gold medals. Ideally the icc would team with the ioc to make the Olympics the T20 World Cup. But that's about as likely as mixed beach cricket making the Olympics based on what James southern and has said