Aussie skipper Ponting backs Olympic Twenty20
Thursday, 28 Aug 2008 10:26
Ricky Ponting says Twenty20 cricket should be an Olympic sport
Australia captain Ricky Ponting has claimed the success of Twenty20 cricket means it should be considered for inclusion in the Olympic Games.
Speaking at the sixth annual Bradman Oration during the Bradman Centenary Dinner in Sydney last night, Ponting called on the International Cricket Council (ICC) to petition the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for a spot at a future Games - possibly London 2012.
The Tasmanian skipper said he believes it is "inevitable" that Twenty20 cricket will reach a truly global audience and force the IOC's hand at some point in the future.
"I feel that at the moment cricket is presented with its best opportunity ever," he explained.
"The explosion of Twenty20 cricket globally has already had a huge impact on the game.
"It's created more markets around the world, there’s no doubt about that. It's created more fans. Creating more fans creates more players."
Ponting continued: "I actually think it's inevitable that Twenty20 cricket will become an Olympic sport. Think about the audience in the sub-continent, 23 per cent of the world's population.
"The IOC could do a lot worse than making cricket an Olympic sport."