ICC set to pump $3 million for cricket's inclusion in 2028 Los Angeles Olympics

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is set to make a $3 million bid for cricket’s inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The sport’s bid for Olympic inclusion received a major setback earlier this month when cricket was not named in the provisional list of 28 sports for the 2028 mega event.

However, the ICC had denied that to be a cause of concern, citing the “plenty of time” available for pushing for cricket’s inclusion. It is understood that changes in the provisional list can be made until 2023 when the Local Organising Committee for the 2028 LA Olympics proposes additional sports.

That the apex board has Olympic ambitions were clarified through their public announcement in August, but the agenda has not been able to be set right due to a variety of reasons, including the internal disturbances in the board.

“It took time to get the ball rolling,” an official privy to the developments of the ICC’s bid told ESPNcricinfo. “There hasn’t been enough work done yet. There have been too many sideshows within the ICC.”

The ICC had appointed a working group by then acting ICC chair Imran Khwaja that included independent director Indra Nooyi, then-ECB chair Ian Watmore, Zimbabwe’s Tavengwa Mukuhlani and Scotland’s Tony Brian, all of whom were collectively responsible to provide a detailed report on how cricket could be turned into an Olympic sport. However, the group never met, with Khwaja later being replaced by Greg Barclay as the ICC chair.

Later the ICC was in the midst of another turmoil when ICC chief Manu Sawhney was stripped of his position following allegations of bullying at the workplace.

“ICC wasted precious time squabbling over a chairman and then even after a sub-committee was formed in December 2020, it didn’t formally start work until just four months back,’ an ICC member from Canada had said earlier. “The ICC may pin their hopes on the final list of sports for LA28 in 2023 but don’t expect other sports to just roll over and make way for cricket.”

“We know it won’t be easy to secure our inclusion as there are so many other great sports out there wanting to do the same,” Barclay said at the time. “But we feel now is the time to put our best foot forward and show what a great partnership cricket and the Olympics could be.”