Cricket has taken a major stride towards potential inclusion in the Olympics after Games chiefs Thursday voted to recognize the governing International Cricket Council (ICC). The International Olympic Committee (IOC), meeting in Vancouver, also said it would recognize the federations of sport climbing and power boating. “They are recognized federations by us, which now means that they can take part in IOC events,” said IOC director of communications Mark Adams, adding it could be seen as a first step towards becoming Olympic sports. Cricket was granted the status of a “recognized” Olympic sport in 2007, for sports not in the Olympic program but which confirm to certain criteria such as universality, for a two-year period, pending a decision on making the move permanent. But despite calls from the likes of former Australia star Adam Gilchrist for Twenty20 to be included, the ICC currently has no imminent plans to bid for the format to be included. Cricket was part of the 1900 Olympics in Paris and has not appeared since, but it is set to feature at this year's Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, and has been in the Commonwealth Games as recently as 1998. The three sports can now bid to join the 2020 Olympics as the programme is always determined seven years in advance. Golf and rugby were latest inclusions in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games when an IOC session voted them in last year. The decision about new sports for the 2020 Games will be taken at the IOC session in Buenos Aires in 2013 where the host country will also be picked. IPL looks to USA The Indian Premier League (IPL) is exploring the possibility of broadening its horizons by staging games like the Champions League Twenty20 in the United States as early as next year. IPL chairman Lalit Modi held talks Thursday with the CEO of USA Cricket, Donald Lockerbie, to discuss bringing the IPL to North America and also to look at allowing top American cricketers to play in the IPL.
