We’re a sporting nation here in Australia, and if there’s one sport that has cemented its place in the very fabric of our cultural identity, it’s that of cricket. The Australian summer practically revolves around the game, with matches taking place on weekends under the relentless heat of the sun, while backyards come to be fashioned into fields and driveways used as pitches for a bit of friendly competition within the neighbourhood. But when it comes to our national team, these are the players known simply by their first names. Players whose prowess on the field has long seen them come to dominate the sport.
But despite the success Australia’s cricket team has enjoyed in recent years, Cricket Australia is still looking to boost participation in the sport. Now, it’s revealed that it will be targeting inclusion of the sport at the 2032 Brisbane Olympics as part of a strategic plan to expand participation. The ambitious goals, outlined in the aptly titled Where the Game Grows plan, will look to double the number of children aged five to 12 playing the game to 210,000 over the next five years, with girls making up 60,000 of that tally.
But perhaps most excitingly, one of the goals is to see cricket reinstated in the Olympic Games, something that hasn’t been achieved since 1900. With the hope to see cricket included at Brisbane, it also looks to see it introduced at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. Cricket has been shortlisted for possible inclusion at the 2028 Olympics, alongside eight other sports.
Later this month, the International Cricket Council will make a presentation to Olympic organisers for the sport’s inclusion. While the host city can include any sport, it must get the approval of the International Olympic Committee. Just recently, the Women’s Twenty20 cricket made its Commonwealth Games debut in Birmingham, with Australia beating India by nine runs to take out the inaugural gold medal.
As Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley expressed, “This strategy contains both a vision and a clear plan for how we can achieve bold, transformative change while also meeting our core responsibilities.”
He added, “I would like to thank everyone across the game for their passion and commitment as we work to unite and inspire everyone to love and play cricket, and in so doing make cricket a sport for all that makes Australians proud.”
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The FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 will feature the world’s top 12 women’s national teams, with 38 games to be played across 10 days from September 22 – October 1, 2022 in Sydney, Australia. Buy your tickets here.
