Former Australian star Adam Gilchrist's idea that "(Twenty20) cricket should bid to become an Olympic sports" has received ayes from the likes of Sourav Ganguly, Steve Waugh and Stephen Fleming
MELBOURNE: Former Australian star Adam Gilchrist's idea that "(Twenty20) cricket should bid to become an Olympic sports" has received ayes from the likes of Sourav Ganguly, Steve Waugh and Stephen Fleming who feel it would be a superb vehicle to globalise the game.
Gilchrist feels cricket should be included as an Olympic sport if it had to grow and widen its horizons and it was the right time to begin the process for pushing it in the 2020 edition quadrennial extravaganza.
Ganguly, the former India skipper, said the move would give a chance to cricketers to become a part of the "worldwide movement".
"It will help the players to be part of a worldwide movement. Cricket is an exciting sport and should definitely be part of the Olympics," Ganguly, currently in Sri Lanka for a three-match Test series, was quoted as saying in the international media.
Waugh, a former Australian captain and the mentor of his country's Olympic team in Beijing, said the idea mooted by Gilchrist was "definitely worth pursuing".
"If you want to globalise the game then you have to look at including countries like China and the United States, and getting cricket into the Olympics will fast-track that move," Waugh told the 'Press Association.'
Waugh led Australia to a silver medal at the 1998 Commonwealth Games and described the moment as one of the most cherished of his career.
"Winning the silver medal was one of the highlights of my career," Waugh said.
The idea has also found the backing of Fleming and VVS Laxman.
"The Olympics would be the greatest vehicle to spread the game worldwide and it would be a logical fit," Fleming said in 'The Australian'.
Laxman said it would be an honour to represent the country in Olympics.
"Should cricket make it to the Olympics it would be significant, especially to our country where the game is most loved," he said.
Meanwhile, Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland also hailed the idea as exciting.
"When you think of the Olympics, you also think of the big nations like the US, Russia and now China," Sutherland told 'The Australian'.
"Those regions are clearly potential growth opportunities for cricket and we see Twenty20 at the Olympics as a superb vehicle," he added.
Cricket received "recognition status" from the International Olympic Committee only last year and would be a part of the 2010 Asian Games in China.
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