Is cricket an Olympic sport?
Cricket at the Summer Olympics
Cricket has been a sport at the modern Summer Olympic Games. The only time it has been played was at the 1900 Summer Olympics with only a men's contest when Great Britain won the gold medal, but the possibility of it being contested at the Olympics again has recently resurfaced.
List of South Africa women ODI cricketers
A One Day International (ODI) is an international cricket match between two teams, each having ODI status, as determined by the International Cricket Council. The women's variant of the game is similar to the men's version, with minor modifications to umpiring and pitch requirements. The first women's ODI was played in 1973, between England and Australia. Due to the sporting boycott placed upon their country, South Africa women did not contest their first ODI until August 1997, playing Ireland in Belfast. Later that year, South Africa entered the Women's Cricket World Cup for the first time, and were eliminated in the quarter-finals. They went one better in 2000, reaching the semi-finals, but since then have finished seventh twice (2005 and 2009) and sixth (2013), before reaching the semi-finals once more in 2017. They were required to compete in a qualifying series to confirm their place in the 2009 (World Cup 2009 qualifier) and 2013 (World Cup 2013 qualifier) tournaments.
Sport of athletics
While cross country competitions are no longer held at the Olympics, having featured in the athletics programme from 1912–1924, it has been present as one of the events within the modern pentathlon competition since the 1912 Summer Olympics. One variation on traditional cross country is mountain running, which incorporates significant uphill and/or downhill sections as an additional challenge to the course. Fell running and Orienteering are other competitive sports similar to cross country, although they feature an element of navigation which is absent from the set courses of cross country.
Cricket in Sri Lanka
Cricket is the most popular sport in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is one of the twelve nations that take part in test cricket and one of the five nations that has won a cricket world cup. Cricket is played at professional, semi-professional and recreational levels in the country and international cricket matches are watched with interest by a large proportion of the population.
Henry Terry
Henry Terry (27 May 1868 – 27 July 1952) was a member of the silver medal winning French cricket team at the 1900 Summer Olympics, the only time to date that cricket has featured in the Olympics. In the only game against Great Britain, he scored two runs in the French first innings, and one in their second.
Sport in Sri Lanka
Cricket is the most popular sport in Sri Lanka. It is one of the twelve nations that are full members and take part in test cricket and one of the five nations that has won a Cricket World Cup. Cricket is played at professional, semi-professional and recreational levels in the country and international cricket matches are watched with interest by a large proportion of the population.
Karate at the Summer Olympics
In 2009, in the 121st International Olympic Committee voting, karate did not receive the necessary two-thirds majority vote to become an Olympic sport. Karate was being considered for the 2020 Olympics,however at a meeting of the IOC's executive board, held in Russia on May 29, 2013, it was decided that karate (along with wushu and several non-martial arts) would not be considered for inclusion in 2020 at the IOC's 125th session in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in September 2013.
Sport in Pakistan
The Pakistan Sports Board is a government institution whereas the Pakistan Olympic Association is working under the shelter of the International Olympic Committee. Due to government interference, the Pakistan Olympic Association is very close to getting a ban from participation in Olympic Games. Due to cold war, Pakistani sport is also suffering but, there is no hope to resolve this problem due to government level dictatorship.
Cricket is the most popular sport in Pakistan. Almost all districts and neighborhoods in Pakistan have a cricket team and people start playing from a young age. Pakistan has won international cricket events, which include the 1992 Cricket World Cup, the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 and the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy besides finishing as runner-up in the 1999 Cricket World Cup and the 2007 ICC World Twenty20. Pakistan's cricket teams take part in domestic competitions such as the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, the Patron's Trophy, ABN-AMRO Twenty-20 Cup, and the ABN-AMRO Champions Trophy. International Test and one-day matches are played between the Pakistan national cricket team and foreign opponents regularly. Women's cricket is also very popular, with Kiran Baluch holding the current record of the highest score in a women's test match with her innings of 242. The Pakistan Cricket Board controls both the men's and women's games.
Forms of cricket
Matches played at the highest international and domestic levels are those in which players and/or teams of a recognised high standard are taking part. In modern domestic cricket, it includes first-class cricket, List A cricket and top-class Twenty20 competitions for both men and women. Test cricket, One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) are variations of those forms within the international sphere. Historically (see History of cricket), top-class matches were those held by substantial sources to have "historical significance" including single wicket and those double innings matches without statistical significance: i.e., lacking scorecards and other statistical data.
Track cycling
With the exception of the 1912 Olympics, track cycling has been featured in every modern Olympic Games. Women's track cycling was first included in the modern Olympics in 1988.
The sport was moved indoors since 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.
Cross-country cycling
Cross-country (XC) cycling is a discipline of mountain biking. Cross-country cycling became an Olympic sport in 1996 and is the only form of mountain biking practiced at the Olympics.
Netball and the Olympic Movement
According to Dyer in 1982, exclusion of netball from the Summer Olympics is part of the historical pattern of the slow growth and gradual acceptance of women's sports. Women first competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics in only three sports: tennis, croquet and golf. Women's cycling was excluded for many years despite having world championships organised by 1958. Field hockey, a sport included for men as early as 1908, was not open to competition by women until 1980. By the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, there were 159 medal events for men, but only 86 for women, and 12 for both men and women, and as late as 1996, 26 countries sent no women to the Olympics. There were still sports that excluded women at the 2000 Summer Olympics, such as boxing, wrestling and baseball. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, every country but Nauru did, and both men and women competed in 34 sports.
Sport in India
Cricket has a long history in India, having been introduced in the country during the British rule. It is the most popular sport by a wide margin in India . Cricket is played on local, national, and international levels, and enjoys consistent support from people in most parts of India. Its development has been closely tied in with the history of the country, mirroring many of the political and cultural developments around issues such as caste, gender, religion, and nationality. The Indian national cricket team played its first official match (a Test) in 1932 against England, and the team's performance since then has generally been mixed, sometimes enjoying stupendous success and sometimes suffering outright failure. The highest profile rival of the Indian cricket team is the Pakistani cricket team, though, in recent times, it has gained other rivals, including Australia, South Africa and England.
Although cricket is the most popular sport in India, it is not the nation's official national sport as India does not have a national sport. The governing body for cricket in India, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), was formed in December 1928 and is based in Mumbai. Today, BCCI is the richest sporting body in the world.
Blundell's School
Four played in the gold medal-winning Great Britain cricket team at the 1900 Summer Olympics, the only time cricket featured in the Olympics. Britain was represented by an unofficial touring club team, the Devon & Somerset Wanderers Cricket Club (formed by William Donne in 1894 and made up of Old Blundellians and members of Castle Cary Cricket Club).
Comparison of baseball and cricket
Standards of sportsmanship differ. In cricket, the standard of sportsmanship has historically been considered so high that the phrase "It's just not cricket" was coined in the 19th century to describe unfair or underhanded behaviour in any walk of life. In the last few decades though, top-level cricket has become increasingly fast-paced and competitive, increasing the use of appealing and sledging, although players are still expected to abide by the umpires' rulings without argument, and for the most part they do. Even in the modern game fielders are known to signal to the umpire that a boundary was hit, despite what could have been a spectacular save (though they may well be found out by the TV umpire anyway) and also signal if they did not take a catch even if it appeared that they did. In addition, many cricket batsmen "walk" when they think they are out, even if the umpire does not declare them out. This is considered a very high level of sportsmanship, as a batsman might easily take advantage of incorrect umpiring decisions; but with the introduction of the decision review system this has become more difficult (in games when the system is in use). The "Spirit of Cricket" was added as a preamble to the Laws in 2000, declaring that "Cricket is a game that owes much of its unique appeal to the fact that it should be played not only within its Laws but also within the Spirit of the Game. Any action which is seen to abuse this Spirit causes injury to the game itself".
List of Cricket World Cup records
The Cricket World Cup is a One Day International (ODI) competition in men's cricket. Organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC), the tournament has taken place every four years since it was first held in 1975 in England. The number of teams and number of matches have increased since then, although the ICC declared an interest in reducing the format, following criticism of the 2007 World Cup.
J. Braid
J. Braid was a member of the silver medal winning French cricket team at the 1900 Summer Olympics, the only time cricket has featured in the Olympics. In the only match against Great Britain he top scored with 25 in the French first innings, and scored seven runs in their second.
Cricket
One possible source for the sport's name is the Old English word ""cryce"" (or ""cricc"") meaning a crutch or staff. In Samuel Johnson's "Dictionary", he derived cricket from ""cryce", Saxon, a stick". In Old French, the word ""criquet"" seems to have meant a kind of club or stick. Given the strong medieval trade connections between south-east England and the County of Flanders when the latter belonged to the Duchy of Burgundy, the name may have been derived from the Middle Dutch (in use in Flanders at the time) ""krick""("-e"), meaning a stick (crook). Another possible source is the Middle Dutch word ""krickstoel"", meaning a long low stool used for kneeling in church and which resembled the long low wicket with two stumps used in early cricket. According to Heiner Gillmeister, a European language expert of Bonn University, "cricket" derives from the Middle Dutch phrase for hockey, "met de (krik ket)sen" (i.e., "with the stick chase"). Gillmeister has suggested that not only the name but also the sport itself may be of Flemish origin.
Cricket at the 1900 Summer Olympics
Cricket had been scheduled as an event at the first modern Olympics, the 1896 Summer Olympics, being listed in the original programme for the Athens Games. Due to an insufficient number of entries, the event was cancelled. Four years later, at the Paris Games, there was also a shortage of entries. Belgium and the Netherlands, who for a time had been considered as possibilities to co-host the Olympics with France, withdrew from the cricket tournament when their co-hosting bids fell through. Their withdrawal left only Great Britain and the host nation, France.
Cricket in Iceland
Some cricket writers have speculated that the game of cricket has its origins in sports devised in Iceland during the Middle Ages, although this theory does not seem to have gained much traction. It is far more likely that the game was introduced to the country in the 20th century by immigrants and expatriates from cricket-playing nations such as England, Australia, and India. The 1944 edition of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack records two wartime games played between the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy, with the Air Force winning by 36 runs in the first game and 24 runs in the second.
Comparison of baseball and cricket
Cricket has an equally strong influence on the culture of many nations, mainly Commonwealth nations, including England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Kenya, Zimbabwe, the English-speaking Caribbean and especially in the Indian-subcontinent where it is often said to be followed like a religion. Canada has seen a marked increase in domestic, as well as interest in international cricket, over the past decade. This can be attributed, in large part, to the growing subcontinental diaspora in Canada. Cricket is the most popular sport or a major sport in most former British Colonies. Like baseball, cricket has had an influence on the lexicon of these nations with such phrases as "that's not cricket" (unfair), "had a good innings", "sticky wicket", "hitting for six", "played with a straight bat" and "bowled over".
Sport in France
Cricket is a developing sport in France. Some reports claim that cricket was invented in France, however, the sport is relatively unknown due to inadequate media coverage. In fact, the 1900 Olympic games, the only one where cricket was played, featured bitter rivals England and France taking on each other. A rematch of the two teams took place just before the 2012 Olympics.
Olympic sports
The only sports that have been dropped from the Olympics since 1936 are baseball and softball, which were both voted out by the IOC Session in Singapore on July 11, 2005, a decision that was reaffirmed on February 9, 2006. These sports were last included in 2008, although officially they remain recognized in the Olympic Charter as a single sport, since both are now governed internationally by the World Baseball Softball Confederation. Therefore, the number of sports in the 2012 Summer Olympics was dropped from 28 to 26.
Sports in Kerala
Cricket, the most followed sport in South Asia, only became popular in Kerala state in recent decades. Earlier cricket was continually played only in select places like Thalassery, Cannanore, Fort Kochi, Ernakulam and Tripunithura. Shanthakumaran Sreesanth (right-arm fast-medium, played 26 tests and 53 ODIs for India) is often regarded as the most successful cricketer from Kerala. Tinu Yohannan, son of Olympic long jumper T. C. Yohannan, also represented India, 3 times in tests and ODIs and Sanju Samson, a future Indian batsman, who already joined Indian team. K. N. Ananthapadmanabhan (344 first class wickets) is also a famous domestic cricket from Kerala, who took 344 wickets in first class cricket. Kochi Tuskers, a short lived former Indian Premier League team, represented Kochi, Kerala. Sports Hub Trivandrum and Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium (Kaloor International Stadium) are the two international cricket stadiums in Kerala. Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium is the third largest stadium in India, having a capacity of 60,000 spectators.
Olympic sports
At the first Olympic Games, nine sports were contested. Since then, the number of sports contested at the Summer Olympic Games has gradually risen to twenty-eight on the program for 2000–2008. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, however, the number of sports fell back to twenty-six following an IOC decision in 2005 to remove baseball and softball from the Olympic program. These sports retain their status as Olympic sports with the possibility of a return to the Olympic program in future games. At the 121st IOC Session in Copenhagen on 9 October 2009, the IOC voted to reinstate both golf and rugby to the Olympic program, meaning that the number of sports to be contested in 2016 was once again 28.
Montagu Toller
Toller was a member of the gold medal winning Great Britain cricket team at the 1900 Summer Olympics, the only time cricket has featured in the Olympics. In the only game against France he scored 2 runs in the Great Britain first innings and did not bat in the second. He took seven wickets for just nine runs in the French second innings.
Robert Horne (cricketer)
Robert Horne was a member of the silver medal winning French cricket team at the 1900 Summer Olympics, the only time to date that cricket has featured in the Olympics. In the only game against Great Britain he scored 15 in the French first innings and just one run in their second.
Kynaston Studd
With the 1908 London Games being the first true Summer Olympics to feature a parade of nations, cricketer Kynaston Studd can be said to be the first person to carry the flag for Great Britain at an Olympic event. However, cricket was only played at the 1900 Olympic Games (see: Cricket at the 1900 Summer Olympics) and Studd was therefore not a competitor.
Commonwealth Games sports
Some optional sports, like billiards and sailing, have not yet been included in a Games programme. There have also been a number of exhibition sports. In 1958 there were exhibitions of polo and show jumping, and in 1978 lacrosse appeared as an exhibition sport. Cricket was included at the 1998 Commonwealth Games although it is not currently a recognised sport.
21st century
At the start of the 21st century sports are very popular. The IOC's Modern Olympic Games was the most viewed sporting event. Association football is the most popular sport worldwide with the FIFA World Cup the most viewed football event. Other sports such as rugby, cricket, baseball, basketball, ice hockey, tennis, and golf were popular globally. In cricket the emergence of the Twenty20 format as well as the creation of the Indian Premier League led to changes in the nature of the sport. American swimmer Michael Phelps won an Olympic record setting 8 Gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Cricket at the Summer Olympics
Any re-introduced event would, unlike the 1900 version, also likely include a women's event. The proposed format would include eight teams split into two groups before two semi-finals and two medal matches. The likely format would be Twenty20 cricket, the shortest of the three formats of the game established at international level. It has been suggested that inclusion of the sport at the Commonwealth Games could be a springboard for inclusion in the Olympic Games. It was last an event in at those Games at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia.
Sports in Indianapolis
Cricket is a street-level sport among the South Asian communities that live in Indianapolis. Indianapolis mayor Greg Ballard identified the international appeal of cricket after his trip to South Africa, where he watched an Indian Premier League game that had been relocated to South Africa due to terrorist tensions in India during 2009 season. He initiated construction of the Indianapolis World Sports Park and its cricket stadium to make the city a global venue for cricket games. Cricket is a popular sport among Indian and South Asian communities and Ballard said that the city has a large enough South Asian community to start a cricket village. The plans for the stadium were started in 2009. Indianapolis has one club, Cricket Club of Indianapolis, that is registered with USACA. Multiple local amateur teams play with tennis balls in central Indiana, including ones in Bloomington, Carmel, Columbus, Fishers, Fort Wayne, Kokomo, West Lafayette, and also downtown at the IUPUI campus. Indiana (Youth) cricket (INYCA) with USYCA FREE cricket equipment and education program is expanding youth and school cricket in Indiana schools and colleges. Jatin Patel of USYCA and founder of the USA Center for Excellence in Cricket introduced the nation's first cricket coaching certification program for physical education teachers in Indiana schools during 2012. INYCA is targeting a future inter-school cricket tournament. The Indianapolis World Sports Park cricket ground is the home of the ICC Americas Cricket Combine – team to play in the WICB's Nagico Super50 and 2015 ICC Americas Twenty20 Division One.
Twenty20 International
Cricket was played in 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China and 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. India skipped both times. There was further calls for subsequent Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games. The Commonwealth Games Federation asked the ICC to participate in the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games, but the ICC turned down the invitation. In 2010, the International Olympic Committee recognised cricket as a sport which could apply to be included in the Olympic Games, but in 2013 the ICC announced that it had no intentions to make such an application, primarily due to opposition from the BCCI. "ESPNcricinfo" suggested that the opposition might be based on the possible loss of income. In April 2016, ICC chief executive David Richardson said that Twenty20 cricket can have a chance of getting in for the 2024 Summer Games, but there must be collective support shown by the ICC's membership base, in particular from BCCI, in order for there to be a chance of inclusion.
Rugby sevens at the Summer Olympics
Rugby sevens was one of five sports — golf, karate, roller sports, rugby, and squash — that submitted a proposal to the IOC at the 117th IOC Session meeting in Singapore in 2005 for inclusion in the 2012 games. The IOC stated that no sport would be added unless others were dropped. However, the selection of two sports out of the five nominees as potential 2012 sports went to squash and karate, as determined by a voting procedure.
White Africans of European ancestry
Cricket was introduced by British serviceman shortly after the takeover of the Cape Colony from the Dutch. The first known match in South Africa took place in 1808. The sport continues to be popular amongst White Africans of British descent. Since the end of apartheid the sport has seen increased popularity with Afrikaners. Cricket was also played by Europeans in other countries on that are members of the commonwealth. The first recorded match of cricket in Zimbabwe took place in 1890. Following from this point the sport continued to grow with the arrival of more European settlers. The sport continued to be dominated by Europeans throughout much of the 20th century, and in 1983 they successfully defeated Australia in a stunning victory. Cricket in Zimbabwe continued to be dominated by Europeans however the political turmoil of the 2000s in the country ended the golden age of cricket in Zimbabwe.
Field Hockey is also popular amongst White Africans. In South Africa the majority of players at the Olympic level are of European descent. Similarly the Zimbabwean field hockey team famous for its 1980 gold medal match was historically dominated by white Africans. The sport has a long history on the continent, and its modern iteration was first introduced by European settlers.
Olympic sports
For most of the 20th century, demonstration sports were included in many Olympic Games, usually to promote a non-Olympic sport popular in the host country, or to gauge interest and support for the sport.
The competitions and ceremonies in these sports were identical to official Olympic sports, except that the medals were not counted in the official record.
Some demonstration sports, like baseball and curling, were later added to the official Olympic program.
This changed when the International Olympic Committee decided in 1989 to eliminate demonstration sports from Olympics Games after 1992. An exception was made in 2008, when the Beijing Organizing Committee received permission to organize a wushu tournament.
Cricket at the Summer Olympics
The West Indies cricket team covers much of the Caribbean, which has several Olympic associations including Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis and United States Virgin Islands. Athletes from dependent territories without an Olympic association can represent the "mother country" without affecting their affiliations in other events. Thus West Indies cricketers from Anguilla and Montserrat would be eligible for Great Britain at the Olympics, and those from Sint Maarten could represent the Netherlands.
Blind cricket
"Blind cricket" is a version of the sport of cricket adapted for blind and partially sighted players. It has been governed by the World Blind Cricket Council (WBCC) since 1996. So far, five Blind World Cups have been held: New Delhi, India (1998); Chennai, India (2002); Islamabad, Pakistan (2006), and India (2018). In 2012, the first Blind World Cup T20 was held in Bangalore, India. Blind cricket relies on common use of the 'sweep shot', in order to provide maximum chance of the bat hitting the ball.
William Attrill
William Dunbar Attrill (March 1868 – 1939) was a member of the silver medal winning French cricket team at the 1900 Summer Olympics, the only time cricket has featured in the Olympics. In the only game against Great Britain he was dismissed for a duck in both French innings, took two wickets in Great Britain's first innings, and two catches in their second.
Curling at the Winter Olympics
Curling was included in the program of the inaugural Winter Olympic Games in 1924 in Chamonix although the results of that competition were not considered official by the International Olympic Committee until 2006. Curling was a demonstration sport at the 1932 Games, and then again after a lengthy absence in 1988 and 1992. The sport was finally added to the official program for the 1998 Nagano Games.
Harry Corner
Harry Richard Corner (9 July 1874 in Taunton, Somerset – 7 June 1938 in Radyr, Glamorgan, Wales) was an English cricket player. He was educated at Blundell's School and was a member of Great Britain's gold medal winning cricket team at the 1900 Summer Olympics, the only time to date that cricket has featured in the Olympics. In the only match against France, he scored four runs in Great Britain's first innings, and did not bat in the second. He also took one wicket in the French second innings and a catch in their first. Nothing is known of his cricket career aside from the Olympics. He was a partner in a firm of wool merchants.
George Buckley (cricketer, born 1875)
George J. Buckley (20 May 1875 – 14 February 1955) was a member of the gold medal winning Great Britain cricket team at the 1900 Summer Olympics, the only time cricket has featured at the Olympic Games. In the only match against France, Buckley scored two runs in the first innings and did not bat in the second.
Cricket in fiction
The sport of cricket has long held a special place in Anglophone culture, and a specialised niche in English literature. Cricket is the official summer sport in England, and it is widely known as the "gentleman's game", owing to the unique culture of the sport and its emphasis on ideals such as grace, sportsmanship, character and complexity. Cricket has therefore often attracted the attention (and in some cases, fandom) of the literati – Lamb, Hazlitt and Leigh Hunt were all players of the game – and some of the greatest English writers have written about cricket. This was particularly true in the era before the Second World War, for example, during the Edwardian era, and in the 1920s and 1930s.
Alison Mitchell
She has covered England Winter cricket tours to Australia, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and South Africa; World Cups in Australia, India and the West Indies; World Twenty20s in Bangladesh 2014, Sri Lanka 2012, West Indies 2010, England 2009 and South Africa 2007, the ICC Champions Trophy, four Women's Cricket World Cups, the 2012 London Olympics, 2008 Beijing Olympics, 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, the Wimbledon, the French Open, Australian Open, four World Gymnastics Championships and two World Snooker Championships.
Tennis
Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society and at all ages. The sport can be played by anyone who can hold a racket, including wheelchair users. The modern game of tennis originated in Birmingham, England, in the late 19th century as lawn tennis. It had close connections both to various field (lawn) games such as croquet and bowls as well as to the older racket sport today called real tennis. During most of the 19th century, in fact, the term "tennis" referred to real tennis, not lawn tennis: for example, in Disraeli's novel "Sybil" (1845), Lord Eugene De Vere announces that he will "go down to Hampton Court and play tennis. "
History of cricket to 1725
In 1652, a case at Cranbrook against John Rabson, Esq. and others referred to "a certain unlawful game called cricket". Rabson was evidently a member of the gentry but the other defendants were all working class. Cricket has long been recognised as a sport that bridged the class divide but, in time, the cricketing gentlemen came to be called "amateurs" to emphasise the distinction between themselves and the professionals who belonged to the lower social classes, mostly to the working class. The amateur became not merely someone who played cricket in his spare time but a particular type of top-class cricketer who existed officially until 1962, when the distinction between amateur and professional was abolished and all the then first-class players became nominally professional. In terms of remuneration, amateurs claimed expenses for playing while professionals were paid a salary or fee. Amateur cricket was an extension of the game played in schools, universities and other centres of education, both as a curricular and extracurricular activity. The schools and universities formed the "production line" that created nearly all the top-class amateur players.
There are few 17th century references to cricket being played at or in the vicinity of schools but, in 1647, a Latin poem contains a probable reference to cricket being played at Winchester College; if so, it is the earliest known mention of cricket in Hampshire. There is a reference to the game at St Paul's School, London c.1665 concerning John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, who studied there. In his "Social History of English Cricket", Derek Birley comments that school cricket was "alive and well during the interregnum" (1649–1660). He speculates that the game "must have been known to every schoolboy in the south-east" of England. He doubts, however, that the sport at this time was part of any school's curriculum. Apart from Eton College and Westminster School, all schools in the 17th century had local intakes and no class segregation. Therefore, the sons of rich and poor families played together. As evidenced by the legal cases of 1646 and 1652, described above, cricket was played jointly by gentry and workers.
Sport in China
Cricket is a fast-growing sport in China. It is already a well-established sport in Hong Kong, a former British Colony. The Chinese cricket team is the team that represents the country of the People's Republic of China in international cricket. The Chinese Cricket Association became an International Cricket Council affiliate member in 2004. It should be noted that the Special administrative region of Hong Kong is a member of the ICC in their own right, becoming an ICC associate member in 1969. Hence, players from Hong Kong are not eligible to represent China in international competition.
Baseball at the Summer Olympics
Baseball at the Summer Olympics unofficially debuted at the 1904 Summer Olympics, and became an official Olympic sport at the 1992 Summer Olympics. The event was last played in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing with South Korea taking the gold; the sport was dropped from the Summer Olympic programme, but will be revived as part of the programme for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
List of One Day International cricket records
One Day International (ODI) cricket is played between international cricket teams who are Full Members of the International Cricket Council (ICC) as well as the top four Associate members. Unlike Test matches, ODIs consist of one inning per team, having a limit in the number of overs, currently 50 overs per innings – although in the past this has been 55 or 60 overs. ODI cricket is List-A cricket, so statistics and records set in ODI matches also count toward List-A records. The earliest match recognised as an ODI was played between England and Australia in January 1971; since when there have been over 4,000 ODIs played by 26 teams. The frequency of matches has steadily increased, partly because of the increase in the number of ODI-playing countries, and partly as the cricket boards of those nations seek to maximise their revenue with the increased popularity of cricket, a process that dates from the time of the Packer Revolution.
Olympic sports
Two previously discontinued sports, golf and rugby, returned for the 2016 Summer Olympics. On August 13, 2009, the IOC Executive Board proposed that golf and rugby sevens be added to the Olympic program for the 2016 Games. On 9 October 2009, during the 121st IOC Session in Copenhagen, the IOC voted to admit both sports as official Olympic sports and to include them in the 2016 Summer Olympics. The IOC voted 81–8 in favor of including rugby sevens and 63–27 in favor of reinstating golf, thus bringing the number of sports back to 28.
C. B. K. Beachcroft
Charles B. K. Beachcroft (born Charles Beachcroft Kay, 1870 – 1 July 1928) was the captain of the gold-medal-winning Great Britain cricket team at the 1900 Summer Olympics, the only time cricket has been an Olympic sport.
History of cricket
The sport of cricket has a "known" history beginning in the late 16th century. Having originated in south-east England, it became the country's national sport in the 18th century and has developed globally in the 19th and 20th centuries. International matches have been played since 1844 and Test cricket began, retrospectively recognised, in 1877. Cricket is the world's second most popular spectator sport after association football. Governance is by the International Cricket Council (ICC) which has over one hundred countries and territories in membership although only twelve play Test cricket.
Sport in Africa
Cricket is a popular summer sport in the United Kingdom and has been exported to other parts of the former British Empire. Cricket has its origins in south east Britain. It is popular throughout England and Wales, and parts of the Netherlands, and in other world areas, especially in southern Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the Indian subcontinent. It is played to test cricket level in South Africa and Zimbabwe, with notable results in Kenya and Namibia.
Cricket Canada
Cricket was once the most popular sport in Canada until the early 20th Century before it was overtaken by hockey. Cricket was so popular it was declared the national sport by Sir John A. Macdonald, the first Prime Minister of Canada. Cricket, today, is a popular minority sport in Canada, although it is growing. Cricket is the fastest growing sport in Canada. Canada has well over 40,000 cricketers across the nation. While Canada is not sanctioned to play Test matches, the team does take part in One Day International (ODI) matches and also in first-class games (in the ICC Intercontinental Cup) against other non-Test-playing opposition, with the rivalry against the United States being as strong in cricket as it is in other team sports. The match between these two nations is in fact the oldest international fixture in cricket, having first been played in 1844. This international fixture even outdates the Olympics by over 50 years. There are a few grounds in Canada that are sanctioned by the ICC to host official ODI's. The most famous Canadian cricketer is John Davison, who was born in Canada but raised in Australia and participated in the Cricket World Cup in 2003, 2007 and 2011. At the 2003 World Cup, Davison hit the fastest century in tournament history against the West Indies in what was ultimately a losing cause. In that World Cup he also smashed a half century at a strike rate of almost 200 against New Zealand. One year later, in the ICC Intercontinental Cup against the US, he proved the difference between the two sides taking 17 wickets for 137 runs as well as scoring 84 runs of his own. In the 2007 Cricket World Cup in the West Indies, John Davison scored the second-fastest half-century against New Zealand. Canada has participated in the 1979, 2003 and 2007 Cricket World Cups. Canada has traditionally had a strong Women's team. Also The Canadian Under 19 team have competed in the Under 19 World Cup on two occasions. In 2002, they were eliminated in the first round, meaning they competed in the plate competition, in which they did not win a game. They repeated this performance in the 2004 competition.
List of Olympic venues in discontinued events
For the Summer Olympics, there have been fourteen Olympic sports that have been discontinued from the program as of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. For the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, golf and rugby union were reinstated as Olympic sports (though the latter was as rugby sevens). As of 2011, there have been eight baseball, two basque pelota, one cricket, one croquet, two golf, one jeu de paume, two lacrosse, five polo, one racquets, five rugby union (fifteen-a-side), four softball, five tug of war, and one water motorsports venues used for the Summer Olympics.
Association France Cricket
There is documented evidence of cricket games played in France as early as 1864. By the end of the 19th century, there were about 12 club teams in France. France participated in the only Olympic Games in Paris in 1900, the only Olympics that has included cricket, and won the silver medal (although many of the players on the French team were English expatriates).
Francis Burchell
Francis Romulus Burchell (25 September 1874 in Bristol – 6 July 1947 in Worthing, Sussex) was an English cricket player. He was part of Great Britain's gold medal winning cricket team at the 1900 Summer Olympics, the only time cricket has featured at the Olympics. He did not play much of a part in the only match against France as he was not out for zero in the first innings and didn't bat in the second, nor did he bowl or take a catch. Nothing is known of his career outside the Olympics.
United States national cricket team
USA Cricket is an organization in development that seeks to unify the United States-based cricket community and become the sole U.S. governing body for the sport of cricket recognized by both the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). Through a diverse Board of Directors, that will be elected by April 2018 and have representation from most cricket stakeholder groups, USA Cricket hopes to lead the sport to new heights by creating and administering value added programs to grow and develop the sport at all levels.
United States Curling Association
Curling was included in the program of the inaugural Winter Olympic Games in 1926 in Chamonix, although, the results of that competition were not considered official by the International Olympic Committee until 2008. Curling was considered to be an isolation sport at the 1928 games.
Cricket at the 1900 Summer Olympics
A cricket tournament, played as part of the 1900 Summer Olympics, took place on 19–20 August at the Vélodrome de Vincennes. The only match of the tournament was played between teams representing Great Britain and France, and was won by 158 runs by Great Britain.
Cricket in Oceania
Cricket was first introduced to Tuvalu (formerly the Ellice Islands) by Christian missionaries during the 1890s, although individual islands were not exposed until much later – for example, Vaitupu was only introduced to the sport in the 1920s, when a New Zealander began teaching the sport at Motufoua Secondary School. The only form of the sport currently played is "kilikiti". Football is more popular, in part due to a lack of space for cricket fields – in Funafuti, Tuvalu's capital and most populous atoll, one of the cricket venues is the runway at Funafuti International Airport. A Tuvaluan national side participated in the cricket tournament at the 1979 South Pacific Games in Fiji. However, it lost all three of its matches, against Papua New Guinea, Tonga, and Western Samoa. According to the 1997 "Wisden Cricketers' Almanack", Tuvalu had hosted Kiribati in a fixture earlier in the 1990s, narrowly losing after the last Kiribati batsman hit a six off the final ball of the game.
Women's sports
For the first time ever rugby sevens was included as an Olympic sport at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. The women's finals included both Australia and New Zealand with Australia winning the first Olympic gold medal with a 24–17 victory. The 2016 Rio Olympic Games was the first time women participated in rugby. Rugby was first played by men until the sport was taken out of the Olympics in 1924.
Day/night cricket
Day/night cricket, also known as Floodlit cricket is a cricket match that is played either totally, or more usually partially, under floodlights in the evening. The first regular cricket to be played under floodlights occurred during World Series Cricket, unsanctioned by the International Cricket Council, attracting large crowds to see some of the world's best players compete in Australia and the West Indies. In 1979, when the ICC and World Series Cricket came to an understanding, the first floodlit One Day International was played, also in Australia. Floodlit cricket has since been played around the world, although England was slow to take it up due to their climate.
Cricket at the Pacific Games
A cricket tournament at the Pacific Games, previously the South Pacific Games, was introduced in 1979 and was played intermittently at games in the 1980s and 1990s, depending on the facilities of the host nation. Since 2003, cricket has featured at every Pacific Games. Detailed records of the tournaments prior to 2003 have not been kept and beyond knowing what teams won the gold and silver medals at each Games, little is known with certainty of the first three tournaments.Venue: Suva, Fiji
Twenty20 International
Cricket was played as part of the 1900 Summer Olympics, when England and France contested a two-day match. In 1998, cricket was played as part of the Commonwealth Games, on this occasion in the 50-over format. There was some talk about Twenty20 cricket being part of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, which were held in Delhi, but at the time the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), were not in favour of the short format of the game, and it was not included.
Women's One Day International cricket
Women's One Day International cricket (ODI) is the limited overs form of women's cricket. Matches are scheduled for 50 overs, equivalent to the men's game. The first women's ODIs were played in 1973, as part of the first Women's World Cup which was held in England. The first ODI saw the hosts beat an International XI. The 1,000th women's ODI took place between South Africa and New Zealand on 13 October 2016.
2010 Asian Games
Cricket was among the five début sports in the Games. India, despite its historical record, decided not to send its cricket team to the Games. According to the Board of Control for Cricket in India, the decision was due to other international commitments. However, its main rivals, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, confirmed their participation.
Cricket
According to the social historian Derek Birley, there was a "great upsurge of sport after the Restoration" in 1660. Gambling on sport became a problem significant enough for Parliament to pass the 1664 Gambling Act, limiting stakes to £100 which was in any case a colossal sum exceeding the annual income of 99% of the population. Along with prizefighting, horse racing and blood sports, cricket was perceived to be a gambling sport. Rich patrons made matches for high stakes, forming teams in which they engaged the first professional players. By the end of the century, cricket had developed into a major sport which was spreading throughout England and was already being taken abroad by English mariners and colonisers – the earliest reference to cricket overseas is dated 1676. A 1697 newspaper report survives of "a great cricket match" played in Sussex "for fifty guineas apiece" – this is the earliest known match that is generally considered top-class.
Cricket at the Summer Olympics
Cricket's governing bodies have for much of their recent history been unwilling to return to the Olympics. In particular, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and England Cricket Board (ECB), considered international cricket's two most powerful boards, have long been opposed.
History of sport
The traditional team sports are seen as springing primarily from Britain, and subsequently exported across the vast British Empire. European colonialism certainly helped spread particular games around the world, especially cricket (not directly related to baseball), football of various sorts, bowling in a number of forms, cue sports (like snooker, carom billiards, and pool), hockey and its derivatives, equestrian, and tennis, and many winter sports. The originally Europe-dominated modern Olympic Games generally also ensured standardization in particularly European, especially British, directions when rules for similar games around the world were merged. Regardless of game origins, the Industrial Revolution and mass production brought increased leisure which allowed more time to engage in playing or observing (and gambling upon) spectator sports, as well as less elitism in and greater accessibility of sports of many kinds. With the advent of mass media and global communication, professionalism became prevalent in sports, and this furthered sports popularity in general. With the increasing values placed on those who won also came the increased desire to cheat. Some of the most common ways of cheating today involve the use of performance-enhancing drugs such as steroids. The use of these drugs has always been frowned on but in recent history there have also been agencies set up to monitor professional athletes and ensure fair play in the sport.
Sport in New Zealand
Cricket is the national summer sport in New Zealand, which is one of twelve countries (with the recent addition of Afghanistan and Ireland) competing in Test match cricket. The provincial competition is not nearly as widely followed as the case with rugby, but international matches are watched with interest by a large proportion of the population. This parallels the global situation in cricket, whereby the international game is more widely followed than the domestic game in all major cricketing countries. Historically, the national cricket team has not been as successful as the national rugby team. New Zealand played its first Test in 1930, but had to wait until 1956 until its first Test victory. The national team began to have more success in the 1970s and 1980s. New Zealand's most famous cricketer, the fast bowler Richard Hadlee who was the first bowler to take 400 wickets in test cricket, played in this era. Although traditionally New Zealand have had one of the strongest sides, winning the 2000 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy and reaching the 2009 final, they have never progressed the semi-finals of the Cricket World Cup where they ended up six times. the semi-finals of the Commonwealth Games and the semi-finals of the 2007 ICC World Twenty20 until 2015. In ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, New Zealand reached final for the first time, beating South Africa in semi-finals but ultimately losing to Australia in the final. However New Zealand's Women's Team, the White Ferns have reached the Final of their World Cup four times, winning the 2000 edition of the tournament.
Asian Cricket Council
At a general meeting of the Olympic Council of Asia held in Kuwait on 17 April 2007, it was announced that cricket would be included as a medal sport in the 2010 Asian Games to be held in Guangzhou. Matches would be played on a Twenty20, 20-overs per side format.
Baseball at the 1956 Summer Olympics
Baseball was again a demonstration sport at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. Though it was nominally the "foreign" demonstration sport of that Olympiad, Australia had a long history of baseball dating back to at least 1889. The Australians were the first to field a full team in an exhibition match against the United States, represented by a detachment from the United States Far East Command. Many Sheffield Shield cricket players – who were quite successful at baseball as a winter sport – were unable to be selected on the basis that they were professional players.
Cricket World Cup
The ICC Cricket World Cup is the international championship of One Day International (ODI) cricket. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC), every four years, with preliminary qualification rounds leading up to a finals tournament. The tournament is one of the world's most viewed sporting events and is considered the "flagship event of the international cricket calendar" by the ICC.
Forms of cricket
It is a game in which the ball is bowled at the legs of the batsman, with the batsman's legs forming the wicket. It is often played by children. A tennis ball is often used rather than the harder cricket ball. Much like beach cricket, the rules may vary wildly.
Cricket
At the grassroots level, local club cricket is essentially an amateur pastime for those involved but still usually involves teams playing in competitions at weekends or in the evening. Schools cricket, first known in southern England in the 17th century, has a similar scenario and both are widely played in the countries where cricket is popular. Although there can be variations in game format, compared with professional cricket, the Laws are always observed and club/school matches are therefore formal and competitive events. The sport has numerous informal variants such as French cricket.
Cricket field
A typical Test match stadium would be larger than these defined minimums, with over of grass (having a straight boundary of about 80m). In contrast an association football field needs only about of grass, and an Olympic stadium would contain of grass within its 400m running track, making it difficult to play international cricket in stadiums not built for the purpose. Nevertheless, Stadium Australia which hosted the Sydney Olympics in 2000 had its running track turfed over with 30,000 seats removed to make it possible to play cricket there, at a cost of A$80 million. This is one of the reasons cricket games generally cannot be hosted outside the traditional cricket-playing countries, and a few non-Test nations like Canada, the UAE and Kenya that have built Test standard stadiums.
List of cricketers by number of international five wicket hauls
One Day International (ODI) is a form of limited overs cricket, played between two teams with international status, in which each team faces a fixed number of overs, usually 50. Bowlers are allowed a maximum of 10 overs in ODI cricket. The first ODI was played on 5 January 1971 between Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
2014 Asian Games
The changes in the non-Olympic sports featured at the Asian Games were influenced by discussions with organizers, who had suggested the removal of cricket from the program because they felt too few countries played it and because they lacked the infrastructure to host it. However, the OCA disputed the proposed removal of cricket, citing its popularity and viewer interest.The closing ceremony was held at 07:00 pm local time on October 4, 2014. The theme of the ceremony is ""Our Cherished Memories of Incheon"". The sequence of events featured the performances of National Dance Company of Korea, Gugak Center Dance Troupe and Kukkiwon.
Sport in Greece
The cricket is little popular in the most of Greece, but is pretty popular in Corfu. British imported the sport in Corfu during the British rule in Ionian Islands. Almost all the activations of this sport take place in Corfu. The Hellenic Cricket Federation and the most clubs of the championship are located in the island. In Corfu also two European Cricket Championships have held, so far.
History of cricket to 1725
In 1613, a court case recorded that someone was assaulted with a "cricket staffe" at Wanborough, near Guildford. In 1616, John Bullokar referred to cricket in his "An English Expositor" as "a kind of game with a ball". In 1617, the 18-year-old Oliver Cromwell is recorded as playing cricket and football in London. This is the earliest definite reference to cricket in London.
Cricket at the Asian Games
Asian cricketing powerhouses Pakistan and India have been the drivers behind the inclusion of cricket in the Asian Games. The Test status nations in the Asian Cricket Council, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka would compete with the initial plan that the Associate teams such as Nepal would also be invited to play in the inaugural competition. China will compete as the host nation which serves as a boost for the Chinese Cricket Association which has boldly stated its ambition of China becoming a force in one-day cricket by the 2019 World Cup.
Frederick Christian (cricketer)
Frederick W. Christian (14 June 1867 – 3 April 1941) was an English cricket player. He represented the gold medal winning Great Britain team at the 1900 Summer Olympics, the only time cricket has featured in the Olympics. In the only match against France, he was bowled for a duck in Great Britain's first innings and did not bat in the second innings. He bowled in the French first innings, taking seven wickets. Nothing else is known about the player.
Cricket at the Asian Games
The team sport of Cricket became a medal sport at the 2010 Asian Games. The last time cricket featured in a major multi-sport event was at the 1998 Commonwealth Games held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The gold medal was won on that occasion by South Africa, who defeated Australia by 4 wickets in the final with New Zealand winning the bronze medal. At a general meeting of the Olympic Council of Asia, held in Kuwait on 17 April 2007, it was announced that cricket would be included as a medal sport in the 2010 Asian Games to be held in Guangzhou. Matches would be played on a Twenty20, 20-overs per side format.
List of Japan women ODI cricketers
A One Day International (ODI) is an international cricket match between two teams, each having ODI status, as determined by the International Cricket Council. The women's variant of the game is similar to the men's version, with minor modifications to umpiring and pitch requirements. The first women's ODI was played in 1973, between England and Australia. Japan have played five ODIs, all as part of the 2003 IWCC Trophy, which served as a qualification competition for the 2005 World Cup. They lost all five matches, and did not compete in the subsequent 2008 World Cup Qualifier, but did reappear at the 2011 World Cup Qualifier (where matches did not have ODI status).
History of Western civilization
The Industrial Revolution which began in Britain in the 18th century brought increased leisure time, leading to more time for citizens to attend and follow spectator sports, greater participation in athletic activities, and increased accessibility. The bat and ball sport of cricket was first played in England during the 16th century and was exported around the globe via the British Empire. A number of popular modern sports were devised or codified in Britain during the 19th century and obtained global prominence – these include Ping Pong, modern tennis, Association Football, Netball and Rugby. The United States also developed popular international sports during this period. English migrants took antecedents of baseball to America during the colonial period. American football resulted from several major divergences from rugby, most notably the rule changes instituted by Walter Camp. Basketball was invented in 1891 by James Naismith, a Canadian physical education instructor working in Springfield, Massachusetts in the United States. Baron Pierre de Coubertin, a Frenchman, instigated the modern revival of the Olympic Games, with the first modern Olympics were held at Athens in 1896.
Squash (sport)
Squash has been featured regularly at the multi-sport events of the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games since 1998. Squash is also a regular sport at the Pan American Games since 1995. Squash players and associations have lobbied for many years for the sport to be accepted into the Olympic Games, with no success to date. Squash narrowly missed being instated for the 2012 London Games and the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games (missed out again as the IOC assembly decided to add golf and rugby sevens to the Olympic programme). Squash also missed out as an event in the 2020 Olympic Games. At the 125th IOC Session in Buenos Aires, the IOC voted for Wrestling instead of Squash or Baseball/Softball. The usual reason cited for the failure of the sport to be adopted for Olympic competition is the difficulty of spectators to follow the action, especially via television.
British West Indies
Cricket has traditionally been the main sport in the British West Indies (though others sports such as football and basketball have challenged its dominance since the 1990s). Most of the countries and territories listed above field a combined cricket team called the West Indies, which is one of the ten elite international teams that play at Test match level. The West Indies hosted the 2007 Cricket World Cup of ODI Cricket and the 2010 ICC World Twenty20.
Cross country running at the Olympics
Haile Gebrselassie, Kenenisa Bekele and Paul Tergat, all highly successful African long-distance runners, jointly issued an open letter in 2008 to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge, urging him to consider the re-instatement of cross country as an Olympic sport. The International Association of Athletics Federations and athletics media have supported the idea of including the sport at the Winter Olympic Games. The IOC defines winter sports as those requiring snow or ice, presenting a possible block on its inclusion. Although the sport does not require such conditions, major cross country events have been held on snow on numerous occasions.
Douglas Robinson (athlete)
Douglas Robinson (12 August 1864 – 19 January 1937) was a member of the silver medal winning French cricket team at the 1900 Summer Olympics, the only time to date that cricket has featured in the Olympics. In the only match against Great Britain, he took two wickets in Great Britain's first innings, and was dismissed for a duck in both French innings. Born of Irish parents in Montserrat, he was the son of the colonial administrator William Cleaver Francis Robinson.
Sport in Oceania
Cricket is a popular summer sport in Australia and New Zealand. Australia had ruled International cricket as the number one team for more than a decade, and have won five Cricket World Cups and have been runner-up for two times, making them the most successful cricket team. New Zealand is also considered a strong competitor in the sport, with the New Zealand cricket team, also called the Black Caps, enjoying success in many competitions. Both Australia and New Zealand are Full members of the ICC.
Sport in London
In London, a diverse array of athletics stretching from football to tennis have further granted its city the spotlight throughout the world. London has hosted the Olympic Games in 1908, 1948, and most recently in 2012, making it the most frequently chosen city in modern Olympic history. Other popular sports in London include cricket, rowing, rugby, basketball, and most recently American Football.
Culture of Vanuatu
Cricket is a very popular sport in Vanuatu. There are 8,000 registered cricketers. Sport varies depending on the gender of those involved. Volleyball is considered a "girls sport", while males play soccer and rugby union.
2012 Summer Olympics
London's bid featured the same 28 sports that had been included in other recent Summer Olympics, but the IOC voted to drop baseball and softball from the 2012 Games just two days after London had been selected as the host city. There was an appeal, but the IOC voted to uphold the decision, and the two sports were scheduled to be discontinued after their last appearance at the 2008 Olympics. The IOC then voted on whether or not to replace them; karate, squash, golf, roller sports and rugby sevens were considered. Karate and squash were the two final nominees, but neither received enough votes to reach the required two-thirds majority.
Cricket at the Summer Olympics
Cricket is the most popular sport in the highly populous Indian subcontinent area, notably in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka.. The deadline for submissions for the initial sports programme has passed for the 2024 Summer Olympics, but hosts Paris will have an opportunity to propose events up until the IOC board meeting following the 2020 Summer Olympics.
France national cricket team
The France national cricket team is the team that represents the country of France in international cricket. They became an associate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 1998, having previously been an affiliate member since 1987. The country is best known for winning the silver medal in the cricket event at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, the only time cricket has been held at the Olympics. France now plays most of its matches in European Cricket Council (ECC) tournaments, although the team also appeared at the 2001 ICC Trophy.
Cricket in the West Indies
Originally introduced to the West Indies by British colonists, cricket's popularity spread to the black population and it is traditionally considered one of the most popular team sport in the West Indies and a major part of West Indian culture, although others sports such as association football and basketball have challenged its popularity from around the 1990s onwards. Major international cricket competitions hosted by the West Indies include the 2007 World Cup and the 2010 World Twenty20.
Olympic Games
In October and November 2004, the IOC established an Olympic Programme Commission, which was tasked with reviewing the sports on the Olympic programme and all non-Olympic recognised sports. The goal was to apply a systematic approach to establishing the Olympic programme for each celebration of the Games. The commission formulated seven criteria to judge whether a sport should be included on the Olympic programme. These criteria are history and tradition of the sport, universality, popularity of the sport, image, athletes' health, development of the International Federation that governs the sport, and costs of holding the sport. From this study five recognised sports emerged as candidates for inclusion at the 2012 Summer Olympics: golf, karate, rugby sevens, roller sports and squash. These sports were reviewed by the IOC Executive Board and then referred to the General Session in Singapore in July 2005. Of the five sports recommended for inclusion only two were selected as finalists: karate and squash. Neither sport attained the required two-thirds vote and consequently they were not promoted to the Olympic programme. In October 2009 the IOC voted to instate golf and rugby sevens as Olympic sports for the 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympic Games.
Forms of cricket
Cricket is a multi-faceted sport with multiple formats, depending on the standard of play, the desired level of formality, and the time available. One of the main differences is between matches limited by time in which the teams have two innings apiece, and those limited by number of overs in which they have a single innings each. The former, known as first-class cricket if played at the senior level, has a scheduled duration of three to five days (there have been examples of "timeless" matches too); the latter, known as limited overs cricket because each team bowls a limit of typically 50 overs, has a planned duration of one day only. A separate form of limited overs is Twenty20, originally designed so that the whole game could be played in a single evening, in which each team has an innings limited to twenty overs.
History of lacrosse
By the 20th century, many high schools, colleges and universities had adopted lacrosse as a league sport. Lacrosse became an Olympic sport for the 1904 and 1908 Summer Olympics, but was then dropped as an official sport. After 1908, lacrosse was a sport in the World Games.
Cricket fighting
Cricket fighting is a blood sport involving the fighting of male crickets. Unlike most blood sports such as bullfighting and cockfighting, cricket fighting rarely causes injuries to the animals. It is a popular pastime in China and dates back more than 1,000 years to the Tang Dynasty. However, the sport has been losing its popularity in China.