Cricket pursues Olympic return

Cricket is closer than ever to a return to the Olympics after the success of the Women’s World Cup, reports out of the UK suggest.

A story in The Guardian newspaper on Monday (Tuesday NZ time) claims the International Cricket Council will strongly lobby for the inclusion of Twenty20 at the 2024 Games.

The most likely competition format would be eight men’s and women’s teams split into two groups of four, with the top two sides in each group progressing to semifinal matches.

Boosted further by a hugely successful World Cup, which finished with a thrilling win for hosts England over India, the women’s game has moved forward significantly and the ICC are keen to see that continue.

A final call on whether the ICC would apply for inclusion at the 2024 Games needed to be made by July, ICC chief executive Dave Richardson said in March.

‘‘We need to make a decision by, I guess, July of this year so that we can submit an application by September.

‘‘And of course it’s not what cricket wants, it’s whether the IOC wants us.’’

Cricket was last played at the Olympics in 1900 in Paris.

The French capital was expected to be confirmed as hosts of the 2024 Games when the host cities for the 2024 and 2028 Olympics are announced on September 13.

The French historical link appears to have boosted support for cricket’s return.

‘‘The French Olympic Committee is understood to be sympathetic to calls from France Cricket for cricket to feature in the next Paris Games – as it did in the Paris Games of 1900, cricket’s only appearance in the Olympics,’’ The Guardian reported.

The US city Los Angeles was expected to be named host of the 2028 Games.

Twenty20 has proved a highly successful hybrid of the game in recent years.