Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Entering the Olympics, A million dollar Question?

Discussions are going on, cricketers are supporting it, Ganguly is in favor and Steve Waugh has just joined the band wagon. So what is it that we are discussing? It’s a simple one, should cricket be added into Olympics? And if yes, then why on earth didn’t it make to Olympics from the last several decades.

The answer could be very simple, Cricket is known through out the globe as a game that takes way too much time and they usually ponder on to the point of the game whose results could be draw even after 5 days of intense game. Weird rite? But then that’s what excites cricket fans. However it was this fact of longevity that had kept cricket out of the Olympics arena for so very long.

The invention of One day cricket didn’t help the matters either, since spending a day at each game was still way too long, comparing the fact that it took seconds to finish a 100m race. However, the popularity of 20/20 cricket has changed all this, with 20/20 cricket in place, cricket matches can be completed in 3 hours, which means 2 games can be completed at the same venue and considering different venues are used, the tournament could be a week or two to max.

The question now is, should it enter the Olympics, which basically defines sports. The support is huge, the players are willing, it is now up to the boards and the ICC to decide on the matters.

Considering all the matters, ICC has a very good matter to propose in front of Olympics Committee when if ever they meet up. For Cricket, it will be history in the making, and an opportunity to show the world, why in some parts of the world, the game has become like a prayer.

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