CWG body to press for T20 in future games

A top Commonwealth Games official said the sports body will attempt to convince the International Cricket Council (ICC) to include Twenty20 cricket in future Games editions.

If the ICC agrees, Twenty20 cricket could be part of the 2018 Commonwealth Games programme, according to an official © AFP

 

Kuala Lumpur: May 12, 2011

 

A top Commonwealth Games official said the sports body will attempt to convince the International Cricket Council (ICC) to include Twenty20 cricket in future Games editions.

 

“We need to engage the ICC to include cricket as we want to sustain the Games as one of the world’s leading multi-sport events,” Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) sports review committee chairman Tunku Imran told AFP on Thursday.

 

But Tunku Imran admitted that it would be an uphill task to get the ICC to agree to their request.

 

“If the ICC agrees, we could have the sport in the 2018 Commonwealth Games. But it is not going to be easy,” he said.

 

Cricket was played during the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia but was dropped in subsequent Games due to difficulties in coming to an acceptable format between the CGF and ICC.

 

The influential Indian cricket board rejected a request by organisers of last year’s Delhi Commonwealth Games to include Twenty20 cricket.

 

Tunku Imran said cricket was a popular sport in the two 2018 bidding countries — Australia and Sri Lanka.

 

He added that Gold Coast and Hambantota had included beach volleyball in their bid books lodged Wednesday.

 

The 71 member countries of the CGF will be asked to vote on the right for future hosts to include beach volleyball at their Commonwealth Games when they meet in St Kitts and Nevis in November for their general assembly.

 

© AFP

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