Cricket at 2024 Olympic games?

Edinburgh: Cricket will be part of the 2024 Olympics if Rome wins the bid to host the mega event, Italian cricket board chief Simone Gambino has said. Gambino’s comments coincided with the ongoing ICC Annual Conference here. “If Rome hosts the Olympics, cricket will be included. We have had a firm commitment from the organising committee,” Gambino, president of the Federazione Cricket Italiana (FCI), was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

Rome is bidding to host the 2024 Summer Games alongside Paris, Los Angeles and Budapest. The host city will have the opportunity to add five sports to the Olympics provided they fall under the regulations. It is likely that, if Rome does host the games, cricket would be held in Bologna. The city hosted World Cricket League Division Four matches in 2010 and though the availability of turf pitches may be an issue, there would be time to overcome that should the bid be successful.

Amongst other issues discussed at the at the ICC Conference, Saudi Arabia was inducted as the 39th Associate member while the world body ratified the suspensions of USA Cricket Association and the Cricket Association of Nepal. It was also decided that an ICC delegation will visit the suspended nations in the near future. “Both Nepal and the US are important Members of the ICC as they have tremendous talent and potential,” ICC chairman Shashank Manohar said.

“The ICC, as part of its game and market development strategy, will continue to provide the countries with as much support as possible so that they can put in place good governance and structures,” he added.