CA keen on having cricket in Olympic Games

Melbourne, Aug 29 (PTI) Joining the chorus of its players to get cricket in the list of Olympic events, Cricket Australia said that both cricket and the Games would benefit if the sport becomes a part of the quadrennial extravaganza.

According to an AAP report, the Cricket Australia believe that cricket could be the vehicle to give Olympics a greater presence and TV audience on subcontinent, which accounts for almost a quarter of the world's population.

In turn, Olympics would help cricket gain a foothold in
new regions.

"It would give cricket a global audience and help
stimulate our push into markets like China and North America,"
CA spokesman Peter Young said.

Australian skipper Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist and
Steve Waugh have already said that they would like to see
cricket as an Olympic sport.

CA has already held informal talks with the International
Cricket Council and cricket Boards of England and India on the
issue.

CA chief executive James Sutherland and chairman Creagh
O'Connor had met with I.C.C. president David Morgan and other
officials in Beijing during the just concluded Games.

The topic is set for further discussion when Sutherland
and his fellow chief executives meet in mid-September.

The International Olympic Committee can decide by 2013
whether cricket can be included in Olympic as an event.

Cricket as an Olympic sport has also won strong support
from current stars Graeme Smith, Sourav Ganguly, Kumar
Sangakkara and VVS Laxman. PTI