Wednesday 6th August 2008
Sanga wants T20 at Olympics
Kumar Sangakkara has joined the chorus of support for Twenty20 cricket to be an Olympic sport by 2020.
Australia legends Steve Waugh and Adam Gilchrist have this week spoken of their support for the idea, which also has backers in India, and it has not taken long for the campaign to attract support from elsewhere in the cricketing world.
Olympic status would be another remarkable step in the swift elevation of the shortest format of the game from county cricket sideshow to all-encompassing global phenomenon, but Sangakkara believes the move is a logical one.
"I cannot agree more wholeheartedly with Adam Gilchrist's suggestion that the time has come for a concerted push for cricket to become an Olympic sport," the Sri Lanka vice captain told an Indian daily.
"The Olympic Games would provide the perfect platform to showcase the game to a larger audience, drawing in new fans and helping drive cricket development in emerging cricket countries.
"2020 might seem like a long way away but we need to start the process now. I don't agree with most of the critics' arguments and I believe their fears are misplaced. We need to embrace Twenty20 fully."
Waugh had earlier said: "The idea of Twenty20 cricket at the Olympics is definitely worth pursuing.
"If you want to globalise the game then you have to look at including countries like China and the United States, and getting cricket into the Olympics will fast-track that move."
