The International Cricket Council (ICC) has submitted a bid to include women’s Twenty20 in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, the governing body reported on Monday. Cricket has not featured in the CWG since its maiden appearance in 1998 when the South African men’s team won the gold medal in Kuala Lumpur.
Describing the same, ICC CEO, David Richardson said, “Cricket and the Commonwealth are inextricably linked and almost perfectly aligned with 910 million of cricket’s one billion plus adult fans from Commonwealth countries. Creating a new partnership between women’s cricket and the Commonwealth Games demonstrates the commitment both organizations have to grow women’s sport…”
Richardson also said that Birmingham is the perfect place to launch this partnership as 23 percent of its residents have links to cricket-playing nations outside the United Kingdom.
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The CEO further added, “If cricket were to be staged in these Games, we know every team competing would be guaranteed ‘home’ support. There are a ready-made audience and ready-made infrastructure in the local vicinity.”
Cricket Australia (CA) were quick to support the bid two days after their women’s team won the World Twenty20 crown in West Indies.
As CA CEO, Kevin Roberts said, “It’s exciting to think that cricket could potentially feature at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. We are committed to cricket being a sport of choice for women and girls in Australia, and with the ICC T20 World Cup in our backyard in 2020, we know the popularity of the women’s game will continue to rise in the coming years.”
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Cricket, which has struggled to grow beyond its traditional bases, was last played at the Olympics in the 1900 Paris Games.
The ICC has been pushing for the game’s Olympic return with the 20-over format but the powerful Indian board has not been very keen on it, fearing it might lose its autonomy and be answerable to the country’s Olympic committee.
