The Sports Lowdown For All Your News and Opinions2. Cricket
The main argument against cricket in the Olympics is that the matches are too long and this makes it less interesting for the viewers. With the different forms of cricket nonetheless there are options to combat this view. The original form of cricket has featured just once in the Olympics back in 1900, but the introduction of Twenty20 cricket has made the sport much better and this would be a perfect addition. The rules of the game don’t change but there are just 20 overs; producing a fast pace and an enthralling match which would be over in roughly three hours.
Twenty20 is a big part of sport in England and now India with the Indian Premier League, but many other nations would be able to participate in the event with the popularity of cricket growing rapidly. There is no outright winner in many cricket matches and this would make it a more exciting event to have in the Olympics as there are smaller nations that would stand more of a chance at winning a medal than in any other sport. If cricket was to be introduced in the Olympics now, it would be a fantastic opportunity for young players to make a name for themselves as a large number of players are young and looking to build a career at an international level. County youth players may be called up to feature for their nation and this would develop a strong foundation for test cricket by seeing who is able to perform on a big stage.
