Cricket could be added to the Olympic programme in 2024 after the England and Wales Cricket Board dropped its opposition to the move, according to the MCC’s World Cricket Committee.

ECB president Giles Clarke’s opposition to the T20 version of the sport being added to the Olympic schedule had previously been seen as a roadblock to the sport's potential inclusion at the 2024 Olympic Games. Following a meeting of an influential MCC thinktank including former players such as Ricky Ponting, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly however, the new ECB committee is more open to the possibility.

Clarke was replaced recently as ECB chair by Colin Graves, with the latter expressing his openness to the idea.

“We urge ICC to reconsider its position and take a decision that it believes is in the best interests of the global game,” said a statement from Graves. “This would need to be done in the next 12 months for cricket to have a chance of being included in the 2024 Olympics.

"[The committee believes] effort should be made to make cricket an Olympic sport and urges all governing bodies around the world to get behind such a bid”.

While the ICC had been opposed to the idea, its chief executive, Dave Richardson, sits on the MCC committee. Former England captain Mike Brearley, who chairs the MCC committee, said Clarke as president would have to “do what he’s told” and fall in line with the decision if the ECB decides to back the idea.

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