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Cricket is set to make its long-awaited return to the Olympic Games in 2028, with the sport’s inclusion after 128 years generating excitement across the globe. Steve Waugh, the former Australian cricket captain who led his team to World Cup glory in 1999, recently shared his thoughts on cricket’s return to the marquee sporting event.
Steve Waugh on Cricket’s Olympic return and ambitions of a particular country
The last time cricket was part of the Olympics was in 1900 when Great Britain defeated France by 158 runs to win the gold medal. With India setting its sights on Olympic gold in Los Angeles, Waugh has pointed out that there is another formidable challenger, China, who has already begun preparing for the competition.
Waugh, in an interview, revealed that China wasted no time in establishing a competitive cricket team after cricket’s inclusion in the 2028 Olympic roster.
“As soon as cricket’s inclusion in the Olympics was announced, China started building a team. They are serious about winning gold,” Waugh was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times.
While T20 cricket grabs the most attention, Waugh also defended the importance of One-Day Internationals (ODIs), which have come under scrutiny in recent years due to the rapid rise of T20 leagues.
He referred to the ODI World Cup as the “Olympics of cricket,” emphasizing its global importance. “World Cup is significant for one-day cricket. It’s pretty much the Olympics, to play (the World Cup) every four years,” Waugh concluded, reinforcing the idea that the 50-over format still holds great value in world cricket.
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One of the strongest contingents to the Olympics
China’s pursuit of Olympic gold in cricket aligns with their broader sporting strategy. Known for sending one of the strongest contingents to the Olympics, China is ranked seventh in the all-time Olympic medal tally, with a total of 804 medals. Their ambition in cricket reflects their drive to diversify their sporting achievements. With cricket becoming a focal point in their preparations for the 2028 Olympics, it will be interesting to see how China’s emerging cricket team measures up to established cricketing powers like India, Australia and England in Los Angeles.
China have only recently started playing competitive cricket, with their debut appearance in the ACC Trophy Challenge 2009 against Iran and their first T20I match in 2023 against Malaysia, they have shown growing interest in the sport. China have already played 11 T20I matches, winning 2 and losing 9, and their ambition to secure a medal in cricket could significantly shake up the Olympic cricket scene.
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