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Cricket's Olympic Return: A New Dream for Next Generation, Says Graeme Smith

Former South African captain Graeme Smith heralds cricket's inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as a transformative step for the sport's global expansion. He notes that while players traditionally dreamed of World Cups or the IPL, the Olympics now offers a new pinnacle to chase. The event will feature six teams each in men's and women's T20 competitions, with matches held at Pomona Fairplex. Smith believes this adds a fresh dimension and dream for the next generation of cricketers.

Key Points: Graeme Smith on Cricket's Transformative Olympic Inclusion

  • Cricket returns to Olympics after 128 years
  • Six teams each in men's and women's T20 events
  • LA28 games scheduled for July 2028
  • Smith calls it transformative for global reach
3 min read

"Adds new dimension to game, another dream for next generation to chase": Graeme Smith on cricket's inclusion in Olympics

Former SA captain Graeme Smith says cricket's 2028 Olympic return adds a new dimension, creating a fresh dream for young players worldwide.

"For a young cricketer today, the chance to win an Olympic gold medal adds a completely new dimension to the game. - Graeme Smith"

Johannesburg, April 14

Former South African captain and current SA20 league commissioner Graeme Smith has said that the reintroduction of cricket in the Olympics has added a new dimension to the sport, considering the special place the marquee event holds in the sporting world.

Smith was speaking to the Olympics.com. The return of cricket to the Olympics during the 2028 edition in Los Angeles signals another major step forward in the sport's global expansion. This is only the second time the sport has made an appearance at the Olympics since 1900. Back then, only two teams, Great Britain and France, had played a two-day match, with the former winning the gold medal.

Cricket's inclusion in the Olympics demonstrates its growing popularity, with women's cricket making its Commonwealth Games debut in 2022 at Birmingham. Both men's and women's cricket have been part of the Asian Games programme since 2010, 2014, and 2023.

With the franchise leagues such as the Indian Premier League (IPL), SA20, and Big Bash League (BBL), Pakistan Super League (PSL), International League T20 (ILT20) and Major League Cricket (MLC) dominating a large chunk of the cricketing calendar, Smith said that the inclusion of cricket in Olympics could be transformative in long-term for the sport and expand its reach.

"For many years, the Olympics simply were not part of cricket's world," Smith explained. "Players grew up dreaming of World Cups or playing in the IPL, but not necessarily about Olympic medals," he added.

Citing the example of Novak Djokovic's massive Paris Olympics gold win in 2024, Smith says that the Olympics "still hold a very special place" in various sports that have other prestigious tournaments as well.

"For a young cricketer today, the chance to win an Olympic gold medal adds a completely new dimension to the game. It is another dream for the next generation to chase," he signed off.

Six teams each in the men's and women's categories, are set to battle for medals in an upcoming tournament. With 90 athlete quotas allocated for each tournament, participating nations can name squads of up to 15 members.

Following the announcement of the confirmed number of teams and the venue for LA28 back in April, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced that the T20 competitions for the men's and women's categories at LA28 will run from July 12 to July 29, 2028.

The medal matches will be held on July 20 (women's) and 29 July (men's) respectively.

All matches will be staged at the Pomona Fairplex, about 50 km from downtown Los Angeles.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Finally! Cricket deserves this global platform. It will help the sport grow in countries where it's not popular. But I hope the BCCI and ICC manage the calendar properly. Players are already exhausted with IPL and other leagues.
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Rohit P
Smith is right. For us, the dream was always the World Cup or playing for India. Now, kids can dream of an Olympic gold too. What a moment that will be for the winning team. The national anthem playing at the Olympics... goosebumps!
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Sarah B
As a sports fan living in India, I'm excited but cautious. Only six teams? That seems very limited. I hope the qualification process is fair and gives emerging cricketing nations a real shot, not just the usual big boards.
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Vikram M
Great step forward. However, the venue being 50km from LA is a bit disappointing. Hope the atmosphere is electric. Nothing beats the passion of Indian fans, we will turn that stadium into a home ground! 💙
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Karthik V
Respectfully, I have a different view. While Olympics is huge, cricket already has its pinnacle events - the World Cups. Adding another major tournament might dilute the value of existing ones and overwork our star players even more.
A
Ananya R

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