With last year’s successful Twenty20 World Cup tournament, twenty over cricket is rapidly increasing in popularity. I believe this version of cricket lends itself well to being a demonstration sport in the London 2012 Olympics. Back in 1900 cricket was introduced as an Olympic sport at the Paris games but subsequently dropped for whatever reason. It would be great if the return of the Olympic cricket competition would be staged at the London Olympics, at the home of the sport.
With London being the home to both Lords and the Oval, the contest can be held with no additional construction costs to the ODA, LOCOG and both national and local government.
Staging cricket at the 2012 Olympics would, no doubt, attract large numbers of South Asian TV viewers who normally are unlikely to watch the Olympics but tune in to see the cricket. Indeed with over 120 cricket-playing nations are recognised by ICC, it will have a truly global appeal.
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