Cricket is set to feature in the Olympics in 2024 if the Games are held in Rome.
Many in the sport are keen to broaden its appeal by joining the Olympic movement, with the ECB also warming to the idea.
And at this week’s ICC annual meeting, held in Edinburgh, Simone Gambino, the president of the Italian Cricket Federation, revealed the attempts had moved a step closer.
He told ESPNcricinfo: “If Rome hosts the Olympics, cricket will be included. We have a firm commitment from the organising committee.”
If Rome did win the bid, the cricket would probably take place in Bologna, in the north of the country. It is one of the few heartlands of a sport that baffles many Italians.
Los Angeles, Paris, Budapest and Hamburg are the other cities bidding for the Games. Los Angeles may also spell good news for cricket, following the recent comments of Patrick Sandusky, the US Olympic Committee’s chief external affairs officer.
He said: “Twenty20 cricket is a very natural fit. If you look at the number of people interested in cricket, and the staggering TV numbers when India play Pakistan, there is a huge opportunity for the Olympics.”
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