NEW DELHI: The International Cricket Council (

ICC

) has expressed its willingness to work alongside the

International Olympic Committee

(

IOC

) to incorporate cricket into the

Youth Olympics

in 2030, Cricbuzz reported.
The ICC’s statement is based on the Indian Government’s announcement last year, which revealed its plans to bid for the 2030 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Mumbai, in addition to the 2036 Olympics.

In an email exchange, Vivek Gopalan proposed an idea to William Glenwright, the ICC’s General Manager of Development. Glenwright, who found the suggestion promising, replied, “It’s a good idea and something we could look at.”
The correspondence between Gopalan and Glenwright included several other recipients, namely ICC CEO Geoff Allardice, Wasim Khan, Claire Furlong, and Chris Tetley, ensuring that key stakeholders were informed about the potential initiative.

Gopanal has contended that “There is a strong for cricket at Youth Olympic Games (YOG) with Mumbai bidding to host 2030 YOG.” He has also written to the ICC official, stating that “No less a person than Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has now publicly proclaimed India’s desire to host both the 2030 YOG and 2036 Olympics.”
Modi alluded to the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) during his speech at the IOC session held in Mumbai in October of the previous year. However, in recent times, the Indian Government’s attention has been redirected towards submitting a bid for the Olympic Games in 2036.

This shift in focus was emphasized by the Prime Minister during his Independence Day speech, delivered from the iconic Red Fort.
In an email to an ICC representative, a strong case was made for incorporating cricket into the Youth Olympic Games (YOG). The message highlighted that “All top sports, including Rugby Sevens, are part of the YOG. Why not Cricket? Including Cricket in the YOG would revolutionize grassroots cricket globally, especially among the ICC Associates.”
The email emphasized the potential impact of cricket’s inclusion on the sport’s development at the grassroots level, particularly in countries affiliated with the ICC. The YOG, which features athletes aged 15 to 18, could provide a platform for young cricketers to showcase their talents on a global stage.
The mail further notes, “Now that ICC has formed strong links with IOC and IOC recognizes that the “cricket brand ” can enhance the “Olympic Brand ” it would not be a difficult task to convince IOC to include Cricket as a core sport in the Youth Olympics.”
Cricket is set to make a comeback at the Olympic Games. The IOC has confirmed that the sport will feature in the

2028 Los Angeles Olympics

, marking its first appearance since the 1900 Paris Games.