Twenty20 cricket at 2020 Olympics!

With the emergence of the promising Twenty20 version of cricket which has certainly taken it to a new height of popularity, the recent buzz of cricket being a part of the ultimate sports, the Olympic Games, is on the wheels to achieve the long road targeting a larger and different audience.

Cricket’s only appearance in Olympics was at Paris in 1900, though it was scheduled to appear in the first Modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896 but was later annulled in the absence of well-number of teams. It was only in the last December that the entire hum ‘Cricket in Olympics’ gained momentum when International Olympic Committee bestowed cricket the status of a recognised sport.

As the first pace and latest format of the game, Twenty20, is indeed on the verge of becoming a huge global success, one can argue for its inclusion in Olympics. Moreover, the changes in duration and marketing strategy have certainly earned it to be one of the favourite Television sports. It can be well-judged from the huge success of inaugural Twenty20 World Cup Cricket in South Africa and the lately finished domestic Twenty20 tournament, the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Again, Cricket is no more a six-team or eight-team game but over the period it has attracted countries like China, USA, Netherlands, UAE and Hong Kong, though they are in the nascent stage. The inclusion of new teams has certainly raised the intensity of competition along with the entertainment factor to the ecstasy.

Though it has got the Olympic recognition, Cricket has a long way to go moving out of its terse territory and promoting the game at large, primarily making it youth oriented. The IOC has taken into count ICC’s youth promotions in terms of shorter version of the game and at the same time its anti-doping policies.

As per information, IOC may go for the inclusion of new sports for 2016 Olympic Games somewhere in 2009. The cricket administrative body needs to come out with a well thought out plan to press their demand ahead of games like Rugby and Golf.

ICC needs to bring Women’s cricket at par of men’s and also intends to get recognition from other regional championship like Commonwealth Games. Furthermore, each cricket playing nation should also make its own effort in development of the game. Yet, keeping the slow change in Olympian world, though it is highly unlike to eye for 2016 but 2020 could be a better long term goal and is quite possible.