3 reasons why cricket's return to the Olympics is great news

Cricket is one step closer to being included in the biggest sporting event on the planet. The sport has been included to be considered with four other events namely - flag football, baseball, lacrosse, and softball for the upcoming 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has been aspiring to get cricket included in the Olympics for quite a while. The organization, along with the rest of the cricketing world had to wait, but will now have the opportunity to witness the sport at the largest potential platform when it comes to sporting events.

ICC chairman Greg Barclay spoke about the historic moment which sees the sport potentially being part of the Olympics after a long 128-year period.

"We are delighted that LA28 have recommended cricket for inclusion in the Olympics. Whilst this is not the final decision, it is a very significant landmark towards seeing cricket at the Olympics for the first time in more than a century," he said.

On that note, let us take a look at three reasons why cricket's return to the Olympics is great news.

#1 Globalization of the sport

Cricket is the second-most watched sport in the world, and despite its success and commercialization over the years, there is still an issue with the game's reach over the world.

While emerging nations across different continents are now playing the sport, they are still in their infancy stage and are nowhere near the established cricket-playing countries. There are only about a handful of nations that are capable of playing at the highest level, and instead of expansion, the sport has been moving in a different direction.

For instance, as many as 16 teams participated in the 2007 ODI World Cup, but only 10 are participating in the ongoing 2023 edition. While an expansion has been planned in the shortest format, the game's inclusion in the Olympics will act as a catalyst in its attempt to reach every corner of the world.

The sport's success in similar events like the Commonwealth Games as well as the Asian Games proves to be a huge factor of confidence for the International Olympic Committee to reintroduce the sport in their domain.

Furthermore, the sport's presence helps the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as well. USA is a growing market from a cricketing standpoint, with the Major League Cricket (MLC) and co-hosting the 2024 T20 World Cup being the first steps to something huge.

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#2 Opportunity to carve legacy apart from ICC events

For cricketers up until now, the set of existing ICC events has been the holy grail. They could only dream of winning the World Cup for their nation since the prospect of medals was out of the question.

However, with cricket close to making it back into the Olympics, the players will have an additional goal, while the fans will have a new dream as well.

An Olympic medal is arguably irreplaceable and the boards will be keen on sending their best teams in a bid for glory.

#3 Attract a new legion of people to the sport

Ninety-two percent of cricket's fans are from South Asia, which is only a fraction of the area when compared to the entire world. Australia and England are some of the other major markets in the sport, but the rest of the entire world is an untapped market.

With the Olympics being the biggest sporting event in the world, with almost all of the countries participating in it, it will invite a whole new set of viewers, who could potentially be new admirers and venture into its proceedings.

Even though the USA is a growing market, it is still in its budding stage and the Olympics might just be the final nail in the coffin for it to be a certified and bonafide cricketing nation.

Will the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics be a turning point in the sport's future? Let us know what you think.