ICC Fears Golf Withdrawals Could Hurt Cricket’s Olympic Hopes

The recent high-profile withdrawals of male golfers from the upcoming Rio Olympics have raised concerns for the future of cricket as an Olympic sport. The International Cricket Council (ICC) is worried that the absence of top athletes in golf could have a negative impact on cricket’s chances of being included in the Olympic programme.

Golf’s return to the Olympics after more than a century has been marred by the withdrawal of top male players such as Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, and Rory McIlroy due to health concerns related to the Zika virus outbreak in Brazil. ICC Chief Executive Dave Richardson expressed his concerns about the situation, stating that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has made it clear that they want top teams and athletes to participate in the Games.

Richardson highlighted the importance of convincing the IOC that cricket’s top players would participate in the Olympics and questioned whether cricketers would view the Games as the pinnacle of their sport. The ICC has been exploring the possibility of including cricket in the Olympic programme, with a focus on the shortest Twenty20 format.

While cricket has struggled to expand beyond its traditional strongholds, the ICC has applied for the inclusion of women’s cricket at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and is considering the sport for the 2024 Olympics if Rome wins the bid to host the Games. Richardson emphasized the potential of cricket at the Olympics to globalize the sport and attract new audiences in countries like the USA, China, and Europe.

The debate over cricket’s inclusion in the Olympics continues, with the ICC pushing for the sport to be recognized on the world’s biggest stage. As the cricketing world awaits a decision from the IOC, the future of cricket as an Olympic sport remains uncertain.