Miandad seconds Gilly's Olympic thoughts by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Player:

Javed Miandad

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DateLine: 28th June 2009

 

Former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad has supported Adam Gilchrist on his views to include Twenty20 cricket in the Olympics.

 

Former Australian wicketkeeper Gilchrist had asked the game's apex body, International Cricket Council to speed up their process and get Twenty20 cricket included in the Olympic Games.

 

Miandad said that he is totally in favour of Gilchrist's views as Twenty20 cricket had helped make the game more global and popular even in non cricket-playing nations.

 

"In the past since Test cricket was played for five daysand 50 over matches also took an entire day, it was not possible to include cricket in the Olympics," Miandad noted. "But now with the popularity of Twenty20 cricket and the organization of two successful World Cups and the mushrooming of leagues like the ICL and IPL, there is definitely a strong case for making cricket an Olympic sport," he said.

 

Miandad said Twenty20 had helped popularise the game and had made cricket easier to understand in non-cricket playing nations.

 

"I say Twenty20 cricket should be included in every global sporting events like the Olympics, Asian and Commonwealth Games. You can easily have one or two matches in a day and it is pure entertainment and easy to understand."