Australian cricket star Ricky Ponting is thrilled about cricket being added to the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. It’s been a long time since cricket was part of the Olympics—the last time was in 1900 when Great Britain won against France by 158 runs to take the gold medal. Now, after 128 years, the sport is returning to the Olympics in 2028.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) officially announced cricket’s inclusion at their 141st meeting in Mumbai in October 2023. Before this, Ponting mentioned that having cricket in the Olympics would be great for the sport and that it had been a goal for a while to bring cricket back to the Games.
“This is definitely a good thing for our sport. I’ve been part of many groups over the past 15 to 20 years, and bringing cricket back to the Olympics has always been a top priority. Now, it’s finally happening,” Ponting said in an interview with ICC Review.
Continuing, the famous former Australian captain expressed his hope that cricket would become more popular in the United States within four years, thanks to the Major League Cricket (MLC).
“It’s just four years until then. By that time in the US, hopefully with the MLC, it will have grown even more. Maybe there will be more teams in the MLC by then. I believe this also gives cricket an opportunity to reach more people in the US. But the Olympics are not just about the host country; they open up a whole new audience for the sport,” he added.
Ponting mentioned that having cricket in the Olympics would introduce the sport to more people, which is good for its growth.
“The Olympics are watched by millions worldwide, which means we can reach new fans for our sport, which is already growing every day. This can only be a good thing for cricket,” he added.
It’s worth noting that cricket was recently played in the USA during the T20 World Cup and was well-received, especially during a big match between India and Pakistan. So, cricket has a good chance of reaching more people during the Olympics and will be played in the T20 format in Los Angeles.
