CRICKET IN OLYMPICS !

 

Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee, is keen to see cricket becoming an Olympic sport in the future. Rogge has indicated that if cricket were to feature in the Olympic games, it would have to be through its shorter versions. 

Now the question is if Cricket is included in the Olympic how long the event would continue. Even if the shorter version is included, as Mr. Rogge has advocated, and a dozen team take part and play each other once then it may take more than two weeks to complete the event. And then the questions would be raised why only 12 countries? Why not two dozens team take part. Cricket is highly competitive and professional sport and it may be possible that many country would ask to give them a chance to show their skills. And even the suggestions would be there to give them a level playing field. It can not be possible to play a team of fully professionals on hand and a bunch of amateurs on the other. 

But the questions apart its a good news for all the cricket supporters. Although The ICC has not yet decided to make an application to give cricket a go in the Olympic. ICC will decide on this at the end of June. Although Rogge has indicated that he would welcome an application. He has also said that it's an important, popular sport and very powerful on television. It's a sport with a great tradition where mostly you have a respect of the ethics.

Although a formal application to take part in the Olympics does not appear to be on the ICC's horizon at present. The matter is not on the agenda for the Board meeting in June. But it seems that Rogge has succumbed to the popularity of the cricket among a huge population of the world specially in the sub-continent. The 69 year old Rogge is from Belgium where rugby is a popular sport, Rogge himself played for Belgium Rugby Union. But the Olympic boss has revealed that he was a huge fan of cricket and that he follows the sport whenever he can.Rogge developed an interest in the game when he was introduced to French cricket by relatives in Cornwall, whom he visited in his formative years. He has asserted that he never played the game but he knows the rules and love the game. H has watched Sachin Tendulkar, Kevin Pietersen, Shane Warne, Ian Botham and some other popular cricketers.

However Rogge has some concern as well. His biggest concern is the menace of illegal bookmakers.He knows the sport has come under the match-fixing spectre, and Rogge believes it can have a more damaging impact on sport than doping scandals.Right now its not sure when the cricket would be incorporated in the Olympic genre.The biggest supporter of the Cricket in the Olympic forum Mr.Rogge will step down after the 2012 games in London. But one thing is for sure he has ignited a debate which might ultimately lead Cricket into Olympic.