President of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Dave Cameron says that he would love to see cricket in the T20 format make an appearance at the Olympic games. Speaking to the T&T Guardian, the Jamaican said: “I do support T20s in the Olympics, I think it will appeal to a global audience, so having it there will be great for the sport.
“Another benefit of having T20s on the Olympic set up is that the smaller countries have an opportunity to compete in the format.” While cricket was played at the Commonwealth Games some years ago, it has not found favour with the International Olympic Committee.
Even the so called big countries that play cricket, seem not interested in having the sport in the Olympics. According to Cameron: “It is very difficult to get in because even in the cricket environment, the other big countries will have to agree. Some of the bigger countries are not in favour so this makes it very hard.”
India and England are not in support of cricket going to the Olympics, as the only ‘big’ cricket country that is supporting the move is Australia. Cameron continued:”We have to start by getting cricket into the Pan Am Games and similar organisations first to see how well it fits in and then we can take it from there.”
Way back in 2010, T20’s push to be part of the 2020 Olympics received a major fillip with news that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted to have the International Cricket Council (ICC) approved. However, while cricket — along with power boating—can now bid to join the 2020 games the ICC currently has no imminent plans to have the format included.
“They are recognised federations by us, which now means that they can take part in IOC events,” said IOC director of communications Mark Adams during a meeting in Vancouver ahead of the 2010 Winter Olympics. A cricket tournament, played as part of the 1900 Summer Olympics, took place on August 19 and 20 at the Vélodrome de Vincennes. The only match of the tournament was played between teams representing Great Britain and France, and was won by 158 runs by Great Britain.
Originally, teams representing Belgium, France, Great Britain, and the Netherlands were scheduled to compete in the tournament. Belgium and the Netherlands pulled out of the competition, leaving Great Britain to play France. Neither team was nationally selected. The British side was a touring club, the Devon and Somerset Wanderers (alias Devon County Wanderers), while the French team, the French Athletic Club Union, comprised mainly British expatriates living in Paris.
The two-day game commenced on 19 August 1900. Great Britain batted first and scored 117, and bowled France out for 78. Great Britain then scored 145 for 5 in their second innings, setting the hosts a target of 185. The tourists bowled out France for 26 to win the match by 158 runs, a significant margin, but with only five minutes of the match remaining.
The Great Britain team was awarded silver medals and the French team bronze medals, together with miniature statues of the Eiffel Tower. The match was formally recognised as being an Olympic contest in 1912, and the medals were later reassigned as gold and silver.